When is Christian McCaffrey coming back for 49ers?

kyle madson

Fri, Nov 1, 2024, 1:30 PM·1 min read

PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - JANUARY 29: Christian McCaffrey #23 of the San Francisco 49ers runs the ball against the Philadelphia Eagles during the second quarter in the NFC Championship Game at Lincoln Financial Field on January 29, 2023 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images)

All signs point to running back Christian McCaffrey returning for the San Francisco 49ers shortly after their Week 9 Bye.

But what exactly does McCaffrey's timeline look like?

Nothing will happen officially until the 49ers' Bye week ends. They're technically off through Sunday. They'll have a bonus practice Monday and head coach Kyle Shanahan said the hope is to have McCaffrey on the field for that practice.

In order to get McCaffrey back for that session, the 49ers will have to open his 21-day practice window Monday. That's when we can expect that official announcement.

Since the team isn't holding any Bye week practices, McCaffrey will be ramping up his rehab with simulated workouts during the week off to ensure his Achilles responds well before joining a live practice.

What'll be interesting is whether McCaffrey can get ready to return with one full week of practice.

He'd get Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday to participate before playing in the 49ers' Week 10 showdown against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

If he needs just one week of practice, which is the same amount of time wide receiver Ricky Pearsall needed for his ramp up, the team would officially activate him off IR on Saturday, Nov. 9. If he's not activated then, it means he'll need to wait at least another week.

If his 21-day window opens Monday, as expected, it means the 49ers will have until Nov. 25 to either activate him or place him on season-ending IR.