CBS Sports: A life-threatening injury has ruled out 49ers fan favorite standout for the remainder of the season.
When we last checked in, positive news about Christian McCaffrey’s medical journey to Germany to receive treatment for his Achilles tendonitis, which has kept him out of the game thus far this season, was making the rounds in the NFL media. According to reports, McCaffrey was supposed to return by November and would begin jogging on firm ground this past week. However, head coach Kyle Shanahan admitted the next day that not all of the reports were as positive, according to Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle.
Shanahan specifically verified rumors that McCaffrey has bilateral Achilles tendinitis, which is a condition that affects the running back’s lower limbs on both sides. According to Shanahan’s theory in the statement, the injury initially appeared in one leg and then spread to the other as a result of adjusting to avoid using that limb.
McCaffrey will still need to miss one more game before he is even eligible to return from injured reserve, having been placed on it shortly before their Week 2 matchup, but nobody seems to be expecting that early of a comeback. The 49ers have decided to give McCaffrey more time to relax before he returns for rehabilitation, which is the reason for the prolonged recovery period.
“We intend to attempt the ramp-up approach,” general manager John Lynch said the press. “Hopefully, the situation has subsided, and we can reestablish him in an incredibly astute and deliberate manner.”
Even though everyone appears to be saying the right things at times, there is a cloud of doubt over the scenario due to the ambiguity in the air. We’ll finally have some eyes on the situation and some expectations to go along with it whenever McCaffrey returns to practice. But for the time being, McCaffrey’s circumstances are still murky.
