Late last week, McCaffrey told reporters he expected to play on Monday night against the New York Jets, which made his last-minute inactive status surprising. Before Wednesday's practice, McCaffrey explained why he didn't suit up despite sounding confident just days earlier. He shared that he didn't realize he wouldn't play until Monday morning.
"I prepare every week to play," McCaffrey said. "My mindset every week is I'm going to play. There's been weeks where I'll go the full week, not even feeling good enough to do the walkthrough, and then I wake up, and the body's capable of a lot of cool things. Mentally, I'm always prepared to play, and then woke up (on Monday), and it was a group decision, a very tough one.
"I hate not playing, but I look at it as a chess move, something that, hopefully, we can benefit from the rest of the season."
He also clarified that his current injury is unrelated to the one he sustained in Week 17 last season, saying, "It's just something I'm dealing with, that I'll get right."
As for Week 2, McCaffrey's mindset is the same—he's preparing to play against the Minnesota Vikings, though his status is still up in the air.
"My mindset is I'm gonna play no matter what I'm going through physically on Wednesday or Thursday in practice," McCaffrey said. "And on the game day, you've gotta make a decision. ... My mentality is I'm playing this week. That's where I'm at.
"That's how I am every week. I'm not lying. I think as soon as a player says, 'Maybe I'll play, maybe I won't,' that's not a good mentality to go into a week with when you're kind of on the fence. So, for me, I'm ready to go."
Related News
More San Francisco 49ers News
-
49ers practice and media schedule: Preparing for the Week 12 matchup vs. Packers
The San Francisco 49ers will hold three full practices this week as they prepare for their Week 12 matchup against the Green Bay Packers. Head coach Kyle Shanahan, defensive coordinator Nick Sorensen, offensive line/run game coordinator Chris Foerster, and quarterback Brock... -
49ers' Kyle Shanahan evaluates McCaffrey: "I think Christian's doing a good job"
San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey played his second game of the season on Sunday after a prolonged battle with Achilles tendinitis. He rushed for 79 yards on 19 carries against the Seattle Seahawks, surpassing 100 scrimmage yards for the second consecutive... -
49ers Notebook: Christian McCaffrey says 'I can be a lot better'; Geno Smith's final run and Steph Curry taunt
The 49ers showed they still have plenty of room for improvement across the board in their disappointing 20-17 loss to the Seahawks on Sunday, starting on offense, where penalties and lack of production were points of frustration. The 49ers were held to 277 total yards by the... -
Christian McCaffrey takes responsibility after 49ers' loss to Packers: "I just gotta be better"
San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey didn't hide his disappointment after Sunday's crushing loss to the Green Bay Packers. Despite being shorthanded due to injuries, the 49ers had hoped to put up more of a fight in a critical matchup at Lambeau Field. Instead,...