After staying healthy for his first year and a half with the San Francisco 49ers, Christian McCaffrey has seen the injury bug bite hard in 2024.
A lingering Achilles injury cost him the first nine weeks of the season. And after just four games back, he’s back on injured reserve. What injury is McCaffrey dealing with, and what is his timetable for a return to the field?
What Is Christian McCaffrey’s Injury?
Early in training camp, the 49ers sat McCaffrey for the entire preseason with what was initially described as a calf strain. Niners head coach Kyle Shanahan downplayed the injury, saying that the team was just being extremely cautious with its star running back. However, shortly before San Francisco’s Week 1 game against the New York Jets on Monday Night Football, McCaffrey was a last-minute scratch.
The injury was far more serious than anyone realized, and he was placed on injured reserve (IR) several days later. McCaffrey flew to Germany to see an Achilles tendinitis specialist, and he wound up being sidelined until Week 10.
Upon his return, McCaffrey looked decent but not at the same level that won him Offensive Player of the Year in 2023. He never reached the end zone in four games, his longest touchdown drought since joining the 49ers.
Unfortunately, he won’t get a chance to end that drought this season, as he suffered a likely season-ending injury in Week 13 against the Buffalo Bills.
Following a shoestring tackle against the Bills, McCaffrey hurt his knee and limped off after not being able to run on a subsequent carry. After the game, Shanahan confirmed that CMC suffered a season-ending PCL injury.
When Will McCaffrey Return From Injury?
McCaffrey was placed on IR, which means the earliest he can return is Week 18.
However, McCaffrey’s expected timeline to return is roughly six weeks. There are only five weeks left in the regular season, which is why this injury is being framed as a season-ending issue.
SEE MORE: NFL Injury Report
The 6-8 49ers are in last place in the NFC West and have a roughly 6% chance to reach the playoffs, according to PFN’s Playoff Predictor. A miraculous late-season surge and Wild Card Round upset could theoretically allow McCaffrey to return, but that’s an extremely long shot given the attrition throughout the rest of San Francisco’s roster.
The good news is that this injury shouldn’t have any lingering effects on him for next year. The bigger concern is that this is a player with a lengthy injury history who will be entering his age-29 season. But this particular issue will be well behind him by the time training camp rolls around.
How Will McCaffrey’s Absence Impact the 49ers?
When McCaffrey exited in Week 13, the 49ers turned back to Jordan Mason, who served as their RB1 over the first two months of the season while CMC was recovering from his Achilles tendinitis. Mason would have been the clear beneficiary and the main guy going forward, but he suffered a high ankle sprain that also landed him on IR as well.
Down to their RB4 (with Elijah Mitchell ruled out for the season before the year even started), the lead back for the remainder of the 2024 campaign is rookie fourth-rounder Isaac Guerendo. Before the dual injuries to McCaffrey and Mason, Guerendo had a total of 42 carries in 2024.
In two games since, Guerendo has proved to be an efficient option, rushing 31 times for 135 yards and two touchdowns. However, he suffered his own foot sprain in Week 14, though he was able to play through it on a short week for Week 15’s Thursday night game.
This version of the 49ers’ offense is nowhere near as potent as in previous years. McCaffrey and Brandon Aiyuk are done for the year. At nearly 29 years old, Father Time appears to have hit Deebo Samuel Sr. rather hard. Their most impactful offensive players have been George Kittle and Jauan Jennings.
Playing out a lost season in a year where a team has Super Bowl aspirations can be challenging for players, but this is a big opportunity for Guerendo to possibly earn the RB2 role for next year. That role could be valuable if the 49ers decide to finally dial back McCaffrey’s outlier-level workload.
