Christian McCaffrey 'Hasn't Had a Setback' amid Achilles Injury Rehab, 49ers HC Says

San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan offered a promising update on injured running back Christian McCaffrey while speaking to KNBR on Tuesday, suggesting that he remains on track to return to practice following this week's bye.

"We hope it does go that way," he said (h/t Kyle Bonilla of 49ers Webzone). "It's been trending that way, and it's been ever since we shut him down and gone through these real slow steps. It's getting there. He hasn't had a setback, and hopefully, he has a real good week, and we can get him into practice next week, which obviously would be huge for us."

McCaffrey, 28, has missed the entire 2024 season and has been on injured reserve since Sept. 14 due to bilateral Achilles tendinitis. That has kept one of the NFL's most dynamic playmakers off the field.

In his absence—and because Elijah Mitchell is out for the season with a hamstring issue—the Niners have been forced to rely on players like Jordan Mason and Isaac Guerendo in the backfield, while wideout Deebo Samuel has also contributed as a dual-threat option.

The team's vaunted rushing attack hasn't taken much of a hit. Mason has rushed for 685 yards and three touchdowns, Guerendo has added 227 yards and a score and the team's 159 rushing yards per game ranks fourth in the NFL behind only the Baltimore Ravens (200 YPG), Philadelphia Eagles (165.9 YPG) and Washington Commanders (165.8 YPG).

But McCaffrey is nearly as dynamic a receiver as he is a runner, and San Francisco has dealt with injuries to Brandon Aiyuk (out for the year with a torn ACL), Samuel and Jauan Jennings throughout the season. Rookie Ricky Pearsall also missed the first six games of the season while recovering from gunshot wounds.

The Niners have been beset by injuries, in other words, and a team with Super Bowl aspirations has started 4-4 on the season. With a Week 9 bye upcoming, however, the team will have a chance to get a bit healthier.

And McCaffrey appears on track to potentially return for a Week 10 tilt against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. His return will be very much welcomed for quarterback Brock Purdy, who has seen his supporting cast decimated by injury this season.