Kyle Shanahan hints at when Christian McCaffrey will return for 49ers

kyle madson

Mon, Oct 21, 2024, 4:54 PM·2 min read

49ers running back Christian McCaffrey runs the ball in for a touchdown in the third quarter of the Lions' 34-31 loss in the NFC championship game in Santa Clara, California, on Sunday, Jan. 28, 2024.

The news around wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk's season-ending knee injury during the San Francisco 49ers' 28-18 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs seems to have the 49ers at a new rock bottom for the 2024 season.

Head coach Kyle Shanahan on Monday in his conference call with reporters provided a potential bit of optimism when he was asked about running back Christian McCaffrey's rehab process. McCaffrey has been dealing with Achilles tendinitis since Week 17 of last season.

Shanahan said McCaffrey is still working through rehab, but that the reigning Offensive Player of the Year hasn't suffered any setbacks, and that his return may be on the horizon.

“Christian's still progressing through his rehab," Shanahan said. "He hasn't had any setbacks, so it's been all good news so far. I'd be surprised to get him back this week. But hopefully the Bye week will go well and have a much better chance there right after the Bye week."

Getting McCaffrey back after the Bye might just be enough to save the 49ers' season.

If they can beat the Dallas Cowboys in Week 8, it would put San Francisco at 4-4 going into its week off. McCaffrey's return should help the ailing 49ers offense and put them in position to go on some kind of run the way they did in 2022 when they won 10 of 11 games after acquiring the RB in a trade with the Panthers.

This is the first time Shanahan has given anything even close to an expected timeline for return from McCaffrey, which is a good sign that he's making progress in his recovery.

RB Jordan Mason has filled in admirably for McCaffrey, but the 49ers' offense has struggled in a couple of key ways while missing McCaffrey's versatility. Getting him back in the fold for the final nine games would be a major boost to a team that is desperately looking for something to go right on the health front.