Brock Purdy provides his assessment on how Christian McCaffrey looks ahead of potential 49ers return
It's not set in stone that Christian McCaffrey will make his return for the San Francisco 49ers this week. But it certainly sounds as if things are going in that direction for the Niners' star running back. McCaffrey has missed the entire season to this point with Achilles tendinitis. His practice window was opened on […]
It's not set in stone that Christian McCaffrey will make his return for the San Francisco 49ers this week.
But it certainly sounds as if things are going in that direction for the Niners' star running back.
McCaffrey has missed the entire season to this point with Achilles tendinitis.
His practice window was opened on Monday following the 49ers' Week 9 bye, with McCaffrey taking part in a bonus practice on Monday and then featuring in a limited capacity as San Francisco prepares to face the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 10.
Head coach Kyle Shanahan indicated on Wednesday that McCaffrey will likely make his season debut if there are no setbacks in the week of practice, and quarterback Brock Purdy on Thursday provided an optimistic assessment of how the reigning Offensive Player of the Year has looked in practice.
Asked what it's been like having McCaffrey back, Purdy told a press conference: "It's been awesome, just what he brings to the table, and really just firing everyone else up around all of us coming off a bye week and feeling good and fresh and then you get two-three next to you in the backfield, it's been awesome.
"[He] looks great moving around and he's trending in the right direction so we're excited to see what happens."
The 49ers' offense has had issues in the red zone and in beating man coverage in McCaffrey's absence, illustrating his remarkable impact on the passing game.
If he is anywhere close to the standards he produced in 2023, then the 49ers' opponents in the stretch run will have significant reason to fear an attack that was the best in the NFL with McCaffrey in it last year.
