(Update: Christian McCaffrey officially DNP on Friday and is listed as questionable for Sunday vs. the Seahawks.)
San Francisco 49ers star running back Christian McCaffrey appeared on the injury report Thursday with a calf injury and was listed as a limited participant in practice, raising concerns about his availability to open the season.
According to Pro Football Doc, Dr. David Chao, the development likely indicates McCaffrey strained his calf during practice earlier in the week. “He wasn’t on the report Wednesday, but was added Thursday,” Chao explained. “That usually points to something that happened the day before.”
The good news for the 49ers: this is not a recurrence of the Achilles tendinitis that sidelined McCaffrey for a significant stretch last season and required special treatments. The bad news is that calf strains are notoriously tricky and can linger.
Chao said McCaffrey may not practice on Friday as the team looks to preserve him long term. “Calf issues can linger,” Chao said. “This is an injury he will recover from it won’t turn into an Achilles tear, but he’s still likely to miss some time.”
McCaffrey’s injury comes as the 49ers again battle early-season health concerns, after finishing among the most injured teams in the league last year. His status for Week 1 will be closely monitored.
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