RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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INGLEWOOD, CALIFORNIA - AUGUST 20: Christian McCaffrey #23 of the San Francisco 49ers looks on before the preseason game against the Los Angeles Chargers at SoFi Stadium on August 20, 2026 in Inglewood, California. (Photo by Luke Hales/Getty Images) Getty
San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey returned to team drills Sunday after a 15-day absence, and said the time away was not the unexpected setback the attention around it might have suggested.
ESPN’s Nick Wagoner reported that McCaffrey took roughly seven reps in team drills on Aug. 23, including several carries, after last practicing Aug. 8 while dealing with what the 49ers called “tightness.”
More importantly for a team preparing to open the regular season against the Los Angeles Rams in Melbourne on Sept. 10, McCaffrey said the break was built into his preparation.
“Obviously when you don’t practice, the way the media works now it’s a firestorm,” McCaffrey told Wagoner.
But McCaffrey said the 49ers had planned to push his workload early in camp, back him off and then build him up again closer to the regular season.
“This was kind of part of the plan from the jump,” McCaffrey said.
For a 49ers offense that still revolves heavily around the 30-year-old running back, that distinction matters considerably more than simply seeing him back in uniform.
Notes and observations from #49ers practice No. 16:
– It was hard not to notice a little extra pep in Niners' practice today, likely due in no small part to the return of TE George Kittle (Achilles) and RB Christian McCaffrey (tightness).
The Niners eased both back in, with…
— Nick Wagoner (@nwagoner) August 23, 2026
Christian McCaffrey Says 49ers Planned His Practice Break
McCaffrey explained that the initial goal was to get a substantial block of training-camp work before deliberately reducing his workload.
He said the plan was to get “nine, 10 practices in,” come back down and then ramp up again so he could remain fresh over the course of the season.
“I feel great,” McCaffrey said, according to Wagoner. “I feel fresh, and it’s good to be back out there.”
The 49ers’ own practice report offered another encouraging detail. McCaffrey received four touches during team drills, and on one carry he reached the edge and accelerated down the sideline for a sizable gain.
That is a more meaningful development than an individual workout or limited walkthrough participation because McCaffrey is beginning to take live offensive reps again with the opener approaching.
It also gives additional context to the speculation that followed his extended absence.
Head coach Kyle Shanahan said on Aug. 18 that McCaffrey’s missed practices were not contract-related. Shanahan also said McCaffrey would have practiced that day had the 49ers been going through a normal game-week session rather than a joint practice with the Los Angeles Chargers .
McCaffrey’s comments Sunday further support the team’s position that the absence was about managing his workload rather than a developing contract standoff.
The next question is how quickly San Francisco expands that workload.
The 49ers have one preseason game remaining, against the Las Vegas Raiders on Aug. 27, before turning their attention toward the Rams.
What McCaffrey’s Return Means for the 49ers RB Depth Chart
McCaffrey’s return also comes as San Francisco’s running back room finally begins getting healthier.
The 49ers’ current depth chart lists McCaffrey as the starter, with Jordan James and rookie Kaelon Black behind him. James returned to practice Sunday after dealing with a rib injury and received six touches during team drills, according to the team.
That gives San Francisco another opportunity to evaluate the competition immediately behind McCaffrey.
Black has helped his case during James’ absence, including 33 rushing yards on eight carries against the Chargers in the 49ers’ second preseason game. James, meanwhile, had been positioned prominently behind McCaffrey earlier in the offseason before the rib injury interrupted his camp.
The battle for those backup snaps still matters even with McCaffrey healthy.
San Francisco leaned heavily on McCaffrey last season, when he played all 17 regular-season games and again became the centerpiece of Kyle Shanahan’s offense. Managing that workload over another full season will be one of the most important variables for the 49ers.
Sunday offered the clearest indication yet of how they intend to do it.
Rather than continuously increasing McCaffrey’s summer workload, the 49ers intentionally built in a reduction before beginning another ramp-up toward Week 1.
Now McCaffrey is back in team drills, says he feels fresh and has more than two weeks remaining before San Francisco faces the Rams.
For the 49ers, that is the part of his 15-day absence that matters most.
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