The San Francisco 49ers’ championship hopes may ride on when running back and reigning Offensive Player of the Year Christian McCaffrey returns.
There was a potential opportunity for him to make it back after the team’s Week 6 game against the Seahawks with the extra time off between games. While the logic tracks, the additional time off isn’t enough for the 49ers to get McCaffrey back in time for their Week 7 game against the Kansas City Chiefs according to head coach Kyle Shanahan.
“No. He is continuing to improve, but we we’re not opening it up this week,” Shanahan told reporters Friday in a conference call.
McCaffrey has been dealing with Achilles tendinitis since Week 17 last season.
It seems like the team may be circling sometime after the bye week, which would make sense since it would give him an additional three weeks to ramp up from his rehab to ensure he doesn’t suffer any setbacks.
That’s already been a problem this year. The club tried to get him ready for Week 1, but he was unable to play in the season opener, then went on IR ahead of Week 2.
If they rush him back a second time, they run the risk of losing him for the rest of the season. Ensuring he’s fully ready before returning is the smart move, and sometime after the Week 9 bye may be the best way to make sure he stays healthy.
