Christian McCaffrey may be gone ’til November.
The 49ers running back, who is still dealing with Achilles tendonitis that has kept him out of the start of the 2024 season, is expected back “at least by early November,” NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported Sunday on NFL GameDay Morning.
McCaffrey remains on injured reserve and cannot return until after San Francisco’s Week 6 game against the Seahawks. However, it sounds like the two-time All-Pro tailback won’t be back until Week 10 at the earliest.
CMC recently returned from Germany where he sought out treatment for his nagging Achilles injury. Rapoport reported McCaffrey received treatment similar to a platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injection. The 49ers RB could return to running on hard ground this week, Rapoport added.
That McCaffrey’s Achilles injury is not expected to sideline him for the duration of the season, which is the case with players with Achilles tears, is a good sign, but not ideal for a San Francisco side that is off to a 1-2 start without its star ball-carrier.
In CMC’s stead, Jordan Mason has enjoyed a mini-breakout and should expect to receive much of the 49ers’ touches going forward. Mason leads the league with 67 carries through three weeks and has already set a career high with 324 rushing yards. The only other running back to see carries this season for the Niners is Isaac Guerendo, who’s tallied a meager 19 yards on six totes.
Mason and San Francisco will look to get off the schneid Sunday afternoon, without CMC again, against the Patriots at 4:05 p.m. ET.
