RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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Dec 22, 2025; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey (23) looks on in the first quarter of the game against the Indianapolis Colts at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images
Over the years, Christian McCaffrey has been, without a doubt, one of the most dominant, consistent, and electric running backs in the league as long as he can stay on the field. However, staying on the field has been a concern, as he has a lengthy injury history.
Naturally, when McCaffrey was absent from San Francisco 49ers practice this month with “tightness,” there was understandably some concern. However, it sounds like there’s nothing to worry about.
McCaffrey Held Out With ‘Tightness’
While the San Francisco 49ers have been on the practice field preparing for the upcoming season, McCaffrey has been sidelined with “tightness” since Aug. 8, leading to some concern from fans. However, Niners head coach Kyle Shanahan has downplayed those concerns.
“No,” Shanahan said, according to David Bonilla of 49erswebzone.com. “My concern would be him toughing through tightness, like a lot of people do, and then hurting something bad, and then pulling something , which then, it could be a month. That would be our concern, so once we hear him talking a certain way, Christian’s a guy who needs to get prepared for Week 1.
“But also, we’re pretty confident in what he’s done before. We’re confident in what he’s done these two weeks, and we just want to make sure we don’t make it something to be concerned about.”
McCaffrey Addresses the Issue
On Sunday, McCaffrey returned to the practice field for the first time since Aug. 8, and he quickly addressed any concerns about lingering injuries.
According to McCaffrey, his absence from practice was less about “tightness” and more about load management.
“This was kind of part of the plan from the jump,” McCaffrey said, via David Bonilla of 49erswebzone.com . “Was to ramp up pretty big, get 9, 10 practices in, kind of come back down, and then ramp back up so we’re fresh for the duration.”
For McCaffrey, it was an intentional decision to limit the number of reps he takes in order to make sure that he’s healthy for the duration of the season.
“I can probably be my worst enemy in how much I just love being out there,” McCaffrey said. “I want to run. I want to go. I want every play. I’m a competitor. I love it.”
And it doesn’t sound like there’s any concern about whether or not he will be ready to play in the season opener.
“I feel great,” McCaffrey said. “So I feel fresh, and it’s good to be back out there.”
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