Life without Christian McCaffrey has not been ideal for the San Francisco 49ers.
Due to a lingering Achilles issue, the reigning NFL Offensive Player of the Year has not yet stepped on the field during the 2024 season. The 49ers are 1-2 in his absence and, as of Week 4, it is still unclear when McCaffrey will return.
The nature of Achilles injuries has caused San Francisco to take a cautious approach with its franchise player and while recent reporting suggests McCaffrey is making some progress, he still may not be ready to play until the second half of the 2024 season.
How long will McCaffrey be out? Here are the latest updates on his injury, recovery and potential return to the field in 2024.
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What is Christian McCaffrey's injury?
McCaffrey's injury is Achilles tendinitis. The Cleveland Clinic defines the injury as "inflammation of the tissue that connects your calf muscle to your heel," a common issue among runners.
The injury was first diagnosed as a calf injury but it was later revealed that McCaffrey was plagued by Achilles tendinitis.
"The Achilles is tendinitis and that stuff comes and goes," 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan said following Week 1. "And when it is acting up, it’s something you’ve got to be very careful about. Christian's very diligent about that stuff."
Originally, the injury was reportedly only happening in McCaffrey's right leg. On Monday though, ESPN's Adam Schefter reported that McCaffrey is now dealing with Achilles tendinitis in both of his legs.
Schefter later added that Shanahan provided confirmation that his running back has experienced the injury in both legs, but the Achilles tendinitis is "more concentrated" in one of McCaffrey's legs than the other.
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How long is Christian McCaffrey out?
McCaffrey could return to the field in early November, according to the latest update from NFL Network's Ian Rapoport.
San Francisco has a bye week during the first week of November and then travels to Tampa, Fla. to face the Buccaneers in Week 10, which could be a potential return dare for McCaffrey.
McCaffrey was initially a late scratch ahead of Week 1, and was later placed on IR, ruling him out of San Francisco's next four games. After the 49ers Week 3 loss to the Rams, McCaffrey traveled to Germany to see a specialist for another evaluation of the injury.
Post-evaluation, McCaffrey is reportedly set to begin running on hard ground as the first step toward his potential return to the field.
In Schefter's report Monday detailing McCaffrey's injury now being in both legs, he said there remains a "major question" in when the running back will return to the field.
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San Francisco 49ers schedule 2024
Here is San Francisco's full schedule for the 2024 season. Based on the latest reporting, McCaffrey could return Nov. 10 or Nov. 17.
| Week | Date | Opponent | Time (ET) | TV |
| 1 | Sept. 9 | 49ers 32, Jets 19 | — | — |
| 2 | Sept. 15 | Vikings 23, 49ers 17 | — | — |
| 3 | Sept. 22 | Rams 27, 49ers 24 | — | — |
| 4 | Sept. 29 | at Patriots | 4:05 p.m. | Fox |
| 5 | Oct. 6 | vs. Cardinals | 4:05 p.m. | Fox |
| 6 | Oct. 10 | at Seahawks | 8:15 p.m. | Prime |
| 7 | Oct. 20 | vs. Chiefs | 4:25 p.m. | Fox |
| 8 | Oct. 27 | vs. Cowboys | 8:20 p.m. | NBC |
| 9 | -- | BYE | -- | -- |
| 10 | Nov. 10 | at Buccaneers | 1 p.m. | Fox |
| 11 | Nov. 17 | vs. Seahawks | 4:05 p.m. | Fox |
| 12 | Nov. 24 | at Packers | 4:25 p.m. | Fox |
| 13 | Dec. 1 | at Bills | 8:20 p.m. | NBC |
| 14 | Dec. 8 | vs. Bears | 4:25 p.m. | Fox |
| 15 | Dec. 12 | vs. Rams | 8:15 p.m. | Prime |
| 16 | Dec. 22 | at Dolphins | 4:25 p.m. | CBS |
| 17 | Dec. 30 | vs. Lions | 8:15 p.m. | ESPN/ABC |
| 18 | TBD | at Cardinals | TBD | TBD |
