The San Francisco 49ers are desperate for RB Christian McCaffrey to be healthy for the playoffs. With over 2,000 scrimmage yards in 2023, McCaffrey has been pivotal to the 49ers’ success.
After suffering a calf injury in Week 17 and missing Week 18 altogether, will McCaffrey be ready for the 49ers’ first playoff game of 2023?
Will Christian McCaffrey Play vs. the Packers?
Update 01/20/2024: Christian McCaffrey is officially active and will play against the Packers.
The 49ers face the Green Bay Packers on Saturday, Jan. 20. As the No. 1 seed in the NFC, it is the first time we will see San Francisco in the 2023 playoffs. Ahead of that game, there is some good news coming out of the Bay Area.
McCaffrey is expected to be active for the 49ers’ clash vs. the Packers in the Divisional Round of the 2023 NFL playoffs.
On the 49ers injury report, McCaffrey was listed as a full participant in practice on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, with all signs pointing toward the star running back starting the game.
“I think he’s geared up and ready to go, the same way he was last year, probably the same way he was in his playoff game when he was five years old,” 49ers HC Kyle Shanahan explained about McCaffrey. “Christian is always the same. He’s always waiting for that moment.”
The 49ers have had their fingers crossed for McCaffrey’s return after he missed Week 18 due to a calf injury. McCaffrey left the Week 17 win over the Washington Commanders after suffering an apparent injury to his right calf.
He was officially listed as questionable to return, with Ian Rapoport reporting, “[McCaffrey] was spotted getting tape applied to the back of his calf on the sidelines.” The 49ers didn’t send him back into the game with no need to risk his health.
Speaking on Jan. 3, Shanahan said that McCaffrey had a mild calf strain and wouldn’t play in Week 18 against the Los Angeles Rams. Updating the media, Shanahan said, “It could have been a lot worse. We’re happy that they’ll take care of him this week, and hopefully, he’ll start getting going during our off week.”
Locking up the No. 1 seed in the NFC and getting a bye in the first round of the playoffs has worked to the 49ers’ advantage. McCaffrey has had an extra week to recover, and he is now ready to go in the postseason.
It is just the latest of the several injuries McCaffrey has had over his stellar NFL career. While being healthy for the majority of his time with the 49ers, McCaffrey was a lot more injury-prone before he was traded.
With the Carolina Panthers, McCaffrey played in just five games in 2021 — a hamstring strain cost him five games, and an ankle sprain in Week 12 sidelined him the rest of the season.
In 2020, McCaffrey only played in three games, with an ankle sprain, an A/C joint sprain, and a thigh strain plaguing his season.
Want to predict the results of the 2023 NFL postseason with our FREE NFL Playoff Predictor? How about looking into in-depth breakdowns of team depth charts or the NFL playoff schedule? Pro Football Network has you covered with all that and more!
