Some red flags went up around the San Francisco 49ers when running back Christian McCaffrey was listed with calf and Achilles injuries on their practice participation report Thursday.
McCaffrey did his best to eliminate any lingering concerns about his status for the team’s season opener against the New York Jets on Monday Night Football.
After Friday’s practice he told reporters he has no concerns about his injury and that there’s “no doubt” he’ll play in Monday’s game.
McCaffrey went down with a calf injury early in training camp and missed the entire preseason before returning for a bonus practice Tuesday. His participation in that session was unknown because a participation report wasn’t due for that particular workout.
It’s unclear whether the Achilles was listed as part of the calf injury, or if that was the genesis of the reigning Offensive Player of the Year being shutdown so early in camp.
Either way, there don’t appear to be any lingering effects from the injury. McCaffrey was getting work in on a side field before returning to practice according to reporters on site at the team facility.
Reporters have also noted he doesn’t appear to have any constraints in his movements during the portion of practice open to media.
It makes sense the team would continue to limit his work in practice. He is ostensibly working in without a training camp, so there will be a ramp up period for him as returns to football. Whether he’ll have a full workload Monday night remains to be seen, but all signs point to McCaffrey suiting up when the 49ers kick off the 2024 season.
