The outlook for San Francisco 49ers‘ star running back Christian McCaffrey has suffered another setback, with head coach Kyle Shanahan revealing that McCaffrey is dealing with Achilles tendinitis in both legs. The update was shared by NBC Sports Bay Area’s Matt Maiocco on the “49ers Talk Podcast” on Sunday, adding a new layer of complexity to McCaffrey‘s situation.
Initially thought to be battling tendinitis in only one Achilles, this development throws a wrench in the team’s plans.
“During the time, he’s had it in both,” Shanahan said. “I think it started in one. You get to overcompensate it, went to the other. But mainly, one of them has just been bothering him. But he’s had it in both.”
It’s still unclear if McCaffrey has been silently struggling with tendinitis in both legs for some time or if this is a recent complication. Either way, it’s an unwelcome scenario as the 49ers seek redemption after their Super Bowl loss to the Kansas City Chiefs last season.
Willing to wait
San Francisco has no plans to rush McCaffrey back into action, especially with his backup, Jordan Mason, making a strong case as a reliable fill-in.
Mason has thrived since stepping into the starting role, ranking second in the league with 447 rushing yards over just four games, giving the team confidence in their ground game without McCaffrey.
Shanahan confirmed that the plan is for McCaffrey to start physical therapy this week, with the goal of steadily increasing his activity until he is ready to be activated off the Injured Reserve list.
The news follows McCaffrey‘s trip to Germany to visit an Achilles specialist, raising further questions about the severity and timeline of his recovery.
“I don’t think Christian McCaffrey knows when he’s coming back,” ESPN’s Adam Schefter told “The Pat McAfee Show.”
“I don’t think anyone knows right now when he’s coming back. They are going to begin to ramp up Christian McCaffrey, potentially even this week, starting to get him back to see how he’s feeling. And ideally, you’d like to hope and think that he’s feeling better — that the time off will have helped — but who knows how the calf and Achilles is going to react. Nobody can say for certain.”
