San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey won’t return in Week 6, but will likely make his long-awaited comeback by Nov. 10. The latest McCaffrey update is yet another plot twist.
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Although the running back is eligible to be activated from IR next week, the 49ers don’t expect McCaffrey to make his return until November.
The good news is that the 49ers began ramping up the star’s rehab; however, the process is very slow. McCaffrey participated in his first on-field work this week, which was a step in the right direction.
The running back didn’t experience any flare-up after his first on-field work and the 49ers will make sure to keep the process slow in order to avoid any setbacks.
Ahead of the season, fantasy managers were quick to pick up the star running back. Just minutes before the 49ers’ Week 1 matchup with the New York Jets, the news broke that McCaffrey was out with a calf strain and an Achilles issue.
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It was a devastating loss for the San Francisco offense. It seemed like things couldn’t get worse with the McCaffrey injury until it did. The 49ers placed McCaffrey on injured reserve in Week 2.
On Sept. 30, it was revealed that the running back had Achilles tendonitis in both legs. Through five games of the season, McCaffrey has yet to play a game for the 49ers in 2024.
The injuries have been brutal for San Francisco. Several starters have been sidelined by injury. In one game, Brandon Aiyuk was the only starting offensive weapon on the field. George Kittle, Deebo Samuel, and McCaffrey were all absent from the contest.
The 28-year-old led the NFL last season with 2,023 yards and was tied for the league leader in touchdowns with 21. McCaffrey’s performance in 2023 earned him the AP Offensive Player of the Year.
San Francisco offensive tackle Trent Williams gave a positive update on the McCaffrey situation on Tuesday.
“He said he’s improving the last I talked to him just a day or two ago,” Williams said on the Rich Eisen Show. He said the treatment is going great, rehab is going great. I think he’s extremely confident that he’ll be back in the lineup pretty soon. I don’t know how soon, but definitely expecting him this year.”
The 49ers will hold out until November for their best offensive weapon to return.
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