The consensus No. 1 overall pick in one-QB formats remains McCaffrey, who has averaged at least 21 PPR points in each of his past two seasons. In fact, of the 27 regular-season games McCaffrey played in with the 49ers, he's hit at least 21 PPR points 17 times (63% of his games) and at least 30 PPR points five times (nearly 20% of his games). If there's a worry, it's that McCaffrey is 28 years old and coming off of a 417-touch season including the playoffs. The previous time McCaffrey had over 400 touches in a year was 2019, and he followed it up with two injury-plagued seasons. The 417 touches were also his most in a season ever. The best way to safeguard your investment in McCaffrey would be to add his backup, presumably Elijah Mitchell, with a pick in Round 9 or later.
McCaffrey (calf/Achilles) said Friday that he has no doubt he'll play Monday against the Jets, Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com reports.
McCaffrey made the comment after being a limited practice participant Thursday and Friday, but he was less confident about handling his normal workload, merely responding, "I hope so," when reporters asked. While the playing time won't be entirely up to him, it sounds like McCaffrey isn't worried about missing Monday's game on account of the calf/Achilles injury that was initially reported the first week of August. He's been doing work on a side field since mid-August and rejoined practice with his teammates Tuesday.
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49ers' Christian McCaffrey: Listed as limited Friday
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McCaffrey (calf) was a limited practice participant Friday, Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com reports.
He has just one more chance to progress to full participation before Monday's game against the Jets, but it does seem McCaffrey is on track to play after 49ers GM John Lynch made optimistic comments Friday morning, saying the running back is "doing great" and will "be out there and ready to go," per Cam Inman of The San Jose Mercury News. The Niners listed McCaffrey as a limited participant Thursday as well, and he may end up being technically questionable even if the team expects him to play.
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49ers' Christian McCaffrey: Looking healthy at practice
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McCaffrey (calf/Achilles) is practicing Friday and appears to be moving well and without issue, according to Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com.
49ers GM John Lynch said Friday morning that McCaffrey looks like his usual self and is expected to play in Monday's game against the Jets. McCaffrey was listed as limited Thursday on San Francisco's first official injury/practice report of the season, but it sounds like he may progress to full participation Friday or Saturday. His calf injury initially was reported the first week of August, about five weeks before San Francisco's season opener this coming Monday.
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49ers' Christian McCaffrey: Expected to play
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GM John Lynch said Friday morning that he expects McCaffrey (calf/Achilles) to play Monday against the Jets, Cam Inman of The San Jose Mercury News reports.
"Obviously we want to see him progress through the week," Lynch said. "We had confidence he'd be ready. ... He'll be out there and ready to go." The GM's comments suggest McCaffrey will play so long as he avoids a setback, after the 49ers listed him as a limited participant Thursday on their first official injury report of the season. He suffered a calf strain in early August and didn't return to practice until Tuesday, leaving Jordan Mason as San Francisco's top running back for much of training camp and the preseason.
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49ers' Christian McCaffrey: To be limited Thursday
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Coach Kyle Shanahan said McCaffrey (calf/Achilles) will be a limited participant at Thursday's practice, Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.
The injury that forced McCaffrey to miss the entire preseason slate was termed a strained calf, but Shanahan tacked on Achilles in his session with the media Thursday. There doesn't seem to be much worry about McCaffrey's availability for Monday's Week 1 matchup with the Jets, but his status nonetheless bears watching in the coming days. Behind McCaffrey, Jordan Mason is the likely next man up at running back for the 49ers with Elijah Mitchell (hamstring, IR) out for the season, and Isaac Guerendo (groin) and Patrick Taylor also on the team's active roster.
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49ers' Christian McCaffrey: Back at practice Tuesday
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McCaffrey (calf) is in uniform for the portion of Tuesday's practice open to the media, Matt Barrows of The Athletic reports.
The 49ers' first official practice report of Week 1 won't be released until Thursday, so it's unclear whether McCaffrey is practicing in full or on a limited basis Tuesday. Nonetheless, it's encouraging to see the star running back participating in any capacity. A calf injury forced McCaffrey to miss all of the preseason and most of training camp, though he did resume working out on a side field in mid-August. San Francisco seems to expect he will suit up for Monday's regular-season opener against the Jets, but backup running backs Jordan Mason, Isaac Guerendo (groin) and Patrick Taylor could benefit from increased opportunities if McCaffrey's workload is limited.
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49ers' Christian McCaffrey: Ramping up activity level
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McCaffrey (calf) increased his activity level on the side field at practice Thursday and seems to be getting closer to a return, Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com reports.
McCaffrey also ran some half-speed routes on the side Thursday, per Matt Barrows of The Athletic. The star running back is expected to sit out all of San Francisco's preseason games while he works his way back from a calf strain suffered early August, but at this point there don't seem to be any serious concerns about his Week 1 status. McCaffrey still has over three weeks to get healthy before San Francisco's regular-season opener against the Jets on Monday, Sept. 9.
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49ers' Christian McCaffrey: Dealing with calf strain
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Coach Kyle Shanahan said Tuesday that McCaffrey (calf) is nursing a calf strain and is unlikely to suit up for any preseason action, Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area reports.
Shanahan said McCaffrey's injury is minor, but that he'll nonetheless miss "a couple weeks" of practice and likely all of San Francisco's exhibition matchups. At the very least, the star running back figures to sit out Saturday's preseason opener against the Titans. Per Cam Inman of The San Jose Mercury News, Shanahan stated that McCaffrey sustained the injury a few days ago. Having inked a two-year, $38 million extension in June, the 28-year-old is primed for a pivotal role again in the 49ers offense, especially if a Brandon Aiyuk trade comes to fruition. Jennifer Lee Chan of NBC Sports Bay Area reports that McCaffrey's calf injury doesn't appear likely to limit him Week 1 versus the Jets, which is nearly a month away. Backups Elijah Mitchell (hamstring) and Isaac Guerendo (hamstring) are also dealing with injuries of their own, leading to the Monday signing of Matt Breida to join Jordan Mason as a depth option.
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49ers' Christian McCaffrey: Lands two-year, $38M extension
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The 49ers signed McCaffrey to a two-year, $38 million contract extension Tuesday, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.
CMC's existing deal was set to run through 2025, and he's getting an additional $8 million up front before this two-year extension kicks in to keep him under contract through 2027. The $19 million annual average makes McCaffrey the NFL's highest-paid running back, a distinction he'd already held at just over $16 million per year. This further sets him apart from Alvin Kamara ($15 million) and Jonathan Taylor ($14 million) at the top of the position. McCaffrey was named the AP Offensive Player of the Year last season and was third in MVP voting after finishing with 2,023 scrimmage yards and 21 touchdowns across 16 regular-season contests. McCaffrey turns 28 years old later this week.
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49ers' Christian McCaffrey: Stellar 160-yard effort not enough
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McCaffrey rushed 22 times for 80 yards while corralling all eight of his targets for 80 yards and a touchdown in a 25-22 overtime loss to the Chiefs in Super Bowl LVIII.
McCaffrey's day got off to an ominous start when he fumbled away his fourth touch of the 49ers' opening drive in Kansas City territory. The NFL's Offensive Player of the Year responded by scoring the game's first touchdown on a trick play in the second quarter, finishing with game highs in yards (160) and touches (30) despite coming up short in overtime. McCaffrey wraps up his first full season in San Francisco with 2,443 combined yards and 26 total touchdowns across 19 regular-season and playoff contests. Under contract through 2025, he'll head a retooled 49ers offense next year while likely being one of the first options taken off the boards in fantasy drafts.
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49ers' Christian McCaffrey: Honored before Super Bowl
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McCaffrey was named the Offensive Player of the Year on Thursday, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.
Even by his own lofty standards, McCaffrey had an incredible season, racking up a career-high 21 total touchdowns while also totaling 2,023 yards from scrimmage across 16 games. His ultimate goal still lies ahead with the 49ers set to square off against the Chiefs in the Super Bowl on Sunday, and he's chipped in an additional four scores across two postseason contests.
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49ers' Christian McCaffrey: Carries offense with two more TDs
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McCaffrey rushed 20 times for 90 yards and two touchdowns while catching four of five targets for 42 yards in Sunday's 34-31 NFC Championship Game win over the Lions.
McCaffrey proved why he deserves to be in the MVP conversation with an impressive personal effort to will his team to the final round of the playoffs. The dual-threat superstar had a pair of rushing TDs that helped erase a 17-point deficit at halftime. McCaffrey came a couple yards short of a third score on a lengthy run in the fourth quarter, but he was slammed on his head and needed to have his neck worked on by the training staff as Elijah Mitchell spelled him for a short score to finish off the drive. McCaffrey seemed to be in good health and spirits during the postgame victory interview, so he should be available on Sunday, Feb. 11 when the 49ers take on the Chiefs in Las Vegas for Super Bowl LVIII.
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49ers' Christian McCaffrey: Two TDs in divisional-round win
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McCaffrey rushed 17 times for 98 yards and two touchdowns and brought in seven of 12 targets for 30 yards in the 49ers' 24-21 divisional-round win over the Packers on Saturday night.
McCaffrey had a lower-volume game than anticipated, especially when factoring in that Deebo Samuel exited for good in the first half with a shoulder injury. However, the Packers' ability to hold leads for extended periods during the contest played a part in that reduced rushing workload, and McCaffrey navigated the drop in opportunities with efficiency, elevated involvement as a receiver and his 39- and six-yard scoring runs. Both of the star back's rushing touchdowns erased Packers leads, with the latter also providing the game-winning points. McCaffrey naturally figures to play a significant role once again versus either the Buccaneers or Lions in the NFC Championship Game on Sunday, Jan. 28.
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49ers' Christian McCaffrey: Good to go for divisional round
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McCaffrey (calf) will be a full practice participant Tuesday, Matt Barrows of The Athletic reports.
McCaffrey missed the 49ers' Week 18 loss to the Rams after suffering a calf injury during a Week 17 game in which San Francisco clinched the NFC's No. 1 seed. He's apparently healthy after a bye for the first round of the playoffs, and the NFL's 2023 leader in scrimmage yards should be ready for his usual every-down role this Saturday against Green Bay in the divisional round.
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49ers' Christian McCaffrey: Expected back at practice next week
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McCaffrey (calf) won't practice this week but is expected to return to the field next week ahead of the 49ers' divisional-round playoff game, Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com reports.
McCaffrey suffered a mild right calf strain in Week 17 against the Commanders and subsequently sat out San Francisco's regular-season finale this past Sunday. The 49ers will take advantage of their bye week in the first round of the postseason and give the star tailback some extra time off to recover from the injury, but the expectation remains that he'll be ready to handle his usual high-volume workload when the team opens its playoff run Jan. 20 or 21.
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49ers' Christian McCaffrey: Won't play in Week 18
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Head coach Kyle Shanahan said Monday that McCaffrey is dealing with a mild right calf strain and won't play Sunday against the Rams, Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com reports.
With the 49ers having clinched the No. 1 seed in the NFC, the team has no reason to play McCaffrey in Week 18 at less than 100 percent health. The star running back thus will target a return to action in the divisional round of the playoffs following the 49ers' first-round bye. With McCaffrey not in line to face Los Angeles this weekend, Elijah Mitchell and Jordan Mason are available to handle the team's backfield duties, while Tyrion Davis-Price is a candidate to be promoted from San Francisco's practice squad.
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49ers' Christian McCaffrey: Injury could be minor
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The right calf injury McCaffrey sustained in Sunday's victory over the Commanders could be minor, according to Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com.
McCaffrey left the contest in the third quarter after picking up the injury, but he spoke after the game and hinted that he was held out for precautionary purposes. The 49ers clinched the top seed in the NFC with Sunday's win, so they figure to take the cautious route in the days ahead. McCaffrey has a chance to play Week 18 against the Rams as things stand, but if he's held out by the team, Elijah Mitchell and Jordan Mason would be candidates to step in.
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49ers' Christian McCaffrey: May have sustained calf strain
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Coach Kyle Shanahan relayed after Sunday's 27-10 win over the Commanders that McCaffrey may be dealing with a calf strain, Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.
On the plus side, Shanahan noted that McCaffrey's calf issue doesn't appear serious. Prior to exiting Sunday's contest, McCaffrey had carried 14 times for 64 yards and caught four of his five targets for 27 yards. McCaffrey's status will need to be monitored in the coming days, but the fact that the 49ers have clinched the No. 1 playoff seed in the NFC figures to factor into their plans for the star running back in Week 18.
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49ers' Christian McCaffrey: Exits Sunday's game
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McCaffrey exited Sunday's game against the Commanders with a right calf injury and is questionable to return.
Prior to sustaining his calf injury, McCaffrey had carried 14 times for 64 yards and caught four of his five targets for 27 yards. If the star tailback is sidelined for the rest of Week 17, Elijah Mitchell would likely finish the contest as the 49ers' lead option on the ground.
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49ers' Christian McCaffrey: Pacing league with 21 TDs
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McCaffrey rushed 14 times for 103 yards and a touchdown while adding six receptions for 28 yards off of 10 targets in Monday's 33-19 loss to the Ravens.
It was a disastrous night for the 49ers on the whole, but it's hard to point any fingers at McCaffrey after he logged the fourth 100-yard rushing game over his last five contests. The MVP candidate also punched in his 21st touchdown of the season, maintaining pace for the league lead with Miami's Raheem Mostert, who also registered his 21st score earlier in Week 16. McCaffrey has just set a new personal best in rushing yards over a single season with 1,395 through 15 games, surpassing the 1,387 yards on the ground that he posted during his incredible 2019 campaign with the Panthers. With just two games left in the regular season, McCaffrey should be afforded ample opportunities to bolster his award bids, starting with a road matchup against the Commanders on Sunday.
