The San Francisco 49ers have gotten off to a slow start this season, partly due to all the injuries that have hit them early on. San Francisco has been dealing with absences from star players left and right, hurting their performance on the field.
Star running back Christian McCaffrey has yet to play this season as he recovers from Achilles tendinitis and a calf injury. But it seems that the 49ers may soon be ramping up his workload to test how he is recovering.
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49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan revealed that he is planning for the ramp-up to happen as early as next week.
“Yeah, we’d like to start hitting his rehab here harder on Monday,” Shanahan said, via David Bonilla of 49erswebzone.com.
Without McCaffrey, the 49ers offense hasn’t looked as explosive. Backup Jordan Mason has filled in nicely, but the offense is built around having someone like McCaffrey in the backfield.
The 49ers star recently traveled to Germany to get some extra treatment on his injuries. 49ers general manager John Lynch is hopeful that once he does return, it’s the end of his injury issues.
“And now, Christian’s back here, and at some point, we’ll get [him] back,” General Manager John Lynch said on KNBR on Friday. “We’ll have to hit certain markers, and we’ll try the ramp-up. And, God willing, the thing has quieted down, and we can build him back up in a really smart and thoughtful way.”
Getting McCaffrey back and healthy could go a long way for the 49ers in their quest to get over the hump and win the Super Bowl. The team is being cautious with its star running back, especially since both issues he has can be tough to shake throughout a season.
McCaffrey has been a complete game-changer since he came to the 49ers during the 2022 trade deadline. He has transformed the offense to be much more dynamic, both on the ground and in the passing game.
In two-plus seasons with San Francisco, McCaffrey has rushed for 2,205 yards, and 20 touchdowns for an average of 5.1 yards per carry. He has also caught 119 passes for 1,028 yards and 11 touchdowns.
If he can return in the next few weeks, it would change the trajectory of the 49ers season. They take on the New England Patriots at home this weekend before then hosting the division-rival Arizona Cardinals the following week.
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