The San Francisco 49ers ramped up Christian McCaffrey's rehab this week, and the star running back appears to be progressing well in his recovery from calf and bilateral Achilles tendinitis issues. ESPN's Adam Schefter reports that the 49ers are cautiously optimistic, as McCaffrey has experienced no setbacks during his on-field work, with no additional flare-ups.
McCaffrey, who has been on injured reserve since September 14, has yet to play this season and will miss his fifth game on Sunday. After the Week 5 matchup against the Arizona Cardinals at Levi's Stadium, the 49ers will travel to face the Seattle Seahawks. According to Schefter, McCaffrey won't be activated before that game.
However, league sources tell Schefter that McCaffrey could return for the 49ers' Week 7 game against the Kansas City Chiefs or the Week 8 matchup against the Dallas Cowboys, both of which will be played at Levi's Stadium. Of course, this remains contingent on McCaffrey's continued progress in rehab.
Alternatively, San Francisco may choose to give McCaffrey additional rest during those games, as their bye week follows. This approach would allow him more time to recover, possibly targeting a return for the November 10 road game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
"Although McCaffrey has been dealing with bilateral Achilles tendinitis, his issue is concentrated to one of his legs -- and the other is faring better, according to sources," Schefter wrote. "The bilateral Achilles tendinitis is not considered a concern, according to sources, who told ESPN that McCaffrey is focused on avoiding setbacks as he continues to ramp up in a return to play."
Tackle Trent Williams recently expressed optimism that McCaffrey would play this season and is nearing a return.
"He said he's improving," Williams shared this week. "Last I talked to him, just a day or two ago, he said that the treatment was going great, rehab was going great. I think he's extremely confident that he'll be back in the lineup pretty soon."
The lack of setbacks so far has been encouraging for the team. While McCaffrey led the NFL with 2,023 scrimmage yards last season, Jordan Mason, who has been filling in during McCaffrey's absence, has impressed with 447 rushing yards this season, putting him on pace for a remarkable 1,900 rushing yards.
