Breathe a sigh of relief at the San Francisco 49ers: Running back Christian McCaffrey resumed training with the NFC’s top seed in the NFL playoffs on Tuesday after his break in Week 18. This means he will likely be able to play against the Green Bay Packers in the divisional game.
In Week 17, McCaffrey suffered a “mild” right calf strain against the Washington Commanders and was rested in the final game of the regular season against the Los Angeles Rams. The Niners had already secured home field advantage and a bye week in Round 1 of the playoffs, so there was no need to bet on the starters.
McCaffrey participated fully in training and had no restrictions in the exercises. “I think he’s primed and ready to play – just like he was last year,” said head coach Kyle Shanahan after practice. “He’s probably just as ready for a playoff game as he was when he was five years old or in practice. Christian is always the same. He’s always waiting for that one moment and he’s been waiting for that moment for a while.”
Although McCaffrey missed the final game of the regular season, he still finished the season with the most rushing yards (1,459). The second-place finisher, Derrick Henry of the Tennessee Titans, finished with 292 yards. Week 18 also marked McCaffrey’s first loss for the 49ers since his trade from the Carolina Panthers to the Bay Area in October 2022. And this was apparently just a precautionary measure.
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McCaffrey had said before that game: “I’ve played with worse injuries. It’s just that we’re in a situation where caution is the better option.”
Besides McCaffrey, the 49ers appear relatively healthy heading into the game against Green Bay (Sunday night, 2:15 a.m. live on RTL). On Tuesday, only defensive lineman Clelin Ferrell (knee), linebacker Dre Greenlaw (Achilles tendon) and safety Logan Ryan were missing from practice.
According to Shanahan, both Greenlaw and Ryan should train again on Wednesday.