Kyle Shanahan's Thursday evening prognostication will be a reality for Sunday.
San Francisco 49ers star running back Christian McCaffrey is listed as questionable but will be "good to go" for his squad's Week 10 matchup with the host Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the Niners coach told reporters Friday.
Shanahan said the 49ers plan to activate him off injured reserve on Saturday, and barring a major change en route to Tampa Bay, McCaffrey will play on Sunday.
McCaffrey, who had never missed a game due to injury since joining the 49ers via trade with the Carolina Panthers in 2022, will make his season debut as he's been sidelined for the first eight games of the season due to Achilles and calf injuries.
Shanahan said on Thursday he expected CMC would play, and now the path is clear.
During the summer, Shanahan said he was simply being cautious with McCaffrey in holding him out of practices and preseason games, but the injuries were more serious than first thought. So serious that McCaffrey consulted a specialist in Germany while he was on injured reserve.
While the New York Giants and Carolina Panthers are set to open up Sunday's Week 10 slate in Germany, McCaffrey will be stateside to take on a familiar foe in the Bucs.
McCaffrey, the reigning Associated Press NFL Offensive Player of the Year, has played the Buccaneers nine times in his career -- twice with the 49ers and seven with the Panthers.
McCaffrey's tallied 10 total touchdowns in those outings and 882 scrimmage yards.
It's a pivotal game for both squads, but one prevailing storyline will be just how McCaffrey looks and fares in his 2024 season debut.
CMC and the 49ers (4-4) kick off against the Bucs (4-5) at 1 p.m. ET on Sunday.
