49ers' Christian McCaffrey Reflects on 'Extremely Unfortunate' Achilles Injury

San Francisco 49ers star Christian McCaffrey discussed the Achilles issue that forced him to miss the first eight games of the 2024 season on Friday.

"The last eight weeks were extremely unfortunate," McCaffrey said, per ESPN's Nick Wagoner. "For me, it's very tough being injured. It's tough physically, mentally, emotionally, especially when it's just not how you planned it. It wasn't expected. Some stuff just went wrong, but I'm feeling great now. Ready to go."

The All-Pro running back dealt with bilateral Achilles tendinitis that landed him on injured reserve, but he's expected to make his season debut against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday.

49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan revealed that McCaffrey will be taken off IR on Saturday.

"We'll take him off IR tomorrow, and then he'll be good to go," Shanahan said, via Wagoner. "Unless something crazy happens on this plane ride, he should be good to go tomorrow once he gets off IR."

McCaffrey was a limited participant in practice on Wednesday and Thursday but was upgraded to full on Friday. He's listed as questionable on San Francisco's injury report, although it's clear that the team is preparing for him to be back on the field.

The 28-year-old is coming off an impressive 2023 campaign, earning the third Pro Bowl nod of his career and winning Offensive Player of the Year honors. He rushed for a league-leading 1,459 yards to go along with 14 touchdowns on the ground.

McCaffrey also made an impact as a receiver, hauling in 67 receptions for 564 yards and seven more scores.

The 49ers have been able to mitigate his absence with strong performances from Jordan Mason and Isaac Guerendo. Mason has racked up 685 yards in eight appearances, while Guerendo is averaging 6.1 yards per carry as a depth option.

Still, McCaffrey's ability to remain effective as an option in the passing game is one of the major reasons why he's been the focal point of Shanahan's offense. Without him, the 49ers sit at No. 3 in the NFC West with a 4-4 record.

He should be able to make an instant impact against a Buccaneers team that owns the NFL's fifth-worst scoring defense while allowing 130.8 rushing yards per game.

Kickoff on Sunday is at 1 p.m. ET.