At long last, Christian McCaffrey is poised to make his 2024 season debut.
San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan told KNBR on Thursday that he expects McCaffrey to play Sunday against the host Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
"I expect to get him out there," Shanahan said.
The reigning Associated Press NFL Offensive Player of the Year, McCaffrey has been sidelined all season with Achilles and calf injuries. CMC returned to the practice field this week in a limited capacity and is now set to return to the playing field.
McCaffrey has missed the first eight games of the 49ers’ season, but he’s been working through his injuries for longer than that.
During training camp, Shanahan announced that McCaffrey would be held out of preseason play as a precaution and would also miss a few weeks of practice. McCaffrey would miss far more than that, though. The running back’s injury saga began with a surprising Week 1 absence. He was eventually put on injured reserve and concern grew when he traveled to Germany to get expert treatment.
Now he’s finally back.
Just how much run CMC gets against the Bucs remains to be seen. Also in question is how the backfield reps will be worked out.
In McCaffrey’s absence, Jordan Mason posted 685 rushing yards in eight games. Mason’s been dealing with a shoulder injury as of late, but rookie Isaac Guerendohas flashed in his time carrying the ball, too.
Nonetheless, McCaffrey’s presence is invaluable.
He’s the reigning rushing champion and a dual threat who has been a perfect fit in recent seasons for an elite 49ers offense.
Just how he looks and how quickly he returns to All-Pro form will be the next questions to answer.