San Francisco 49ers star running back Christian McCaffrey has bilateral Achilles tendinitis, meaning he has it in both legs, per NBC Sports. McCaffrey recently went to Germany for treatment.
San Francisco head coach Kyle Shanahan confirmed the report in his press conference Monday.
“During the time he’s had it in both,” Shanahan said, via The Athletic. “I think it started in one, you overcompensate, it went to the other. But mainly one of them has just been bothering him, but he’s had it in both.”
Achilles tendinitis is described as “an overuse injury of the Achilles tendon, the band of tissue that connects calf muscles at the back of the lower leg to your heel bone,” according to the Mayo Clinic. Some Achilles tendinitis can be treated at home, while more serious cases can lead to tendon tears that may require surgery.
The 49ers said they expected to get a “better idea” on McCaffrey’s status over the next few weeks. The team’s plan was to ramp up his rehabilitation to “see how it responds.” General manager John Lynch added that the team is aiming to “quiet down” the injury.
Until McCaffrey, the team and the medical specialists see how the area responds to more work, it’s hard to make a call on when he will be back, if he does come back this season. NFL Media reported Sunday that McCaffrey should be back, at least, by early November, but the report of bilateral Achilles tendinitis could change things.
“I don’t think Christian McCaffrey knows when he’s coming back. I don’t think the 49ers know when he’s coming back. I don’t think anyone knows right now when he’s coming back,” ESPN’s Adam Schefter said Monday on “The Pat McAfee Show.” “They are going to begin to ramp up Christian McCaffrey, potentially even this week, starting to get him back to see how he’s feeling. And ideally, you’d like to hope and think that he’s feeling better — that the time off will have helped — but who knows how the calf and Achilles is going to react. Nobody can say for certain.”
Schefter did add that the thought of losing McCaffrey for the season “never has occurred” for the 49ers, but there’s a lot still up in the air with the reigning NFL Offensive Player of the Year.
McCaffrey was placed on injured reserve ahead of Week 2, meaning he is out until Week 6 against the Seattle Seahawks at the earliest. The running back has yet to play this season after an incredible 2023 campaign. McCaffrey led the league in rushing yards (1,459) and had the third-most rushing touchdowns (14) last year. McCaffrey also paced the NFL in scrimmage yards (2,023) and scrimmage touches (339) while co-leading the league in scrimmage touchdowns (21) with former 49er in Miami Dolphins running back Raheem Mostert. He also had 268 yards on the ground along with four rushing touchdowns in the postseason during the 49ers’ run to the Super Bowl. Safe to say all those touches are starting to wear on the 28-year-old’s body.