National Football League

49ers RB Christian McCaffrey expected to play Sunday, coach Kyle Shanahan says

Updated Nov. 7, 2024 7:20 p.m. ET

Star San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey is expected to make his season debut when the Niners face the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday (1 p.m. ET on FOX and the FOX Sports app), head coach Kyle Shanahan told Bay Area sports radio station KNBR on Thursday.

McCaffrey has missed the entire season with achilles tendonitis and been on injured reserve for most of that time. But the 2023 NFL Offensive Player of the Year has been practicing this week for the first time since the preseason, sparking optimism both inside and outside the 49ers' facility that McCaffrey would return to the field Sunday.

The 28-year-old McCaffrey, a three-time Pro Bowler and two-time first-team All-Pro, is widely regarded as one of the best running backs of his generation. In his first full season with San Francisco after being dealt there at the 2022 midseason trade deadline, McCaffrey ran for a league-leading 1,459 yards and helped the 49ers to both an NFC championship and a Super Bowl berth.

The Niners (4-4) are coming off their bye week and have been hampered by several injuries this season, including to wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk, who will miss the rest of the year with a torn ACL. But no injury has loomed larger than McCaffrey's. Though the 49ers are averaging 159 rushing yards per game, fourth-best in the NFL, head coach Kyle Shanahan's attack has been hampered especially in the red zone due to McCaffrey's absence. The 49ers rank 28th in red zone touchdown rate this season after leading the league in the category last year.

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