The season started with the 49ers taking part in video games concerning the availability of working again Christian McCaffrey. Now that he’s inching towards his 2024 debut, the video games proceed.
Requested by reporters when a call can be made relating to whether or not McCaffrey will play on Sunday at Tampa Bay, coach Kyle Shanahan stated this: “Like publicly? Kickoff.”
Really, it’ll be 90 minutes earlier than kickoff — except he’ll be energetic and never play.
Shanahan had extra to say when requested what he must see earlier than he is aware of whether or not McCaffrey will play.
“That he’s simply Christian McCaffrey and he’s not hurting,” Shanahan stated. “However so long as all the pieces goes nicely, it has within the rehab. So, simply so long as he doesn’t get sore and have setbacks every day with observe, normally in the event you get that in observe, meaning it’s going to be worse within the sport. So hopefully he can string collectively three days in a row and never have any of these.”
If McCaffrey performs, his workload is to be decided.
“It undoubtedly may [be a normal workload], however it additionally undoubtedly won’t,” Shanahan stated.
Shanahan additionally was requested whether or not the 2024 damage was associated to McCaffrey’s heavy workload by 20 video games in 2023.
“I don’t imagine that,” Shanahan stated. “I don’t suppose he believes that. I believe issues occur to a physique. I believe they occur in [the] offseason, however I don’t suppose that actually has to do with numbers. When a man is wholesome and good, they’re normally good. However we’ve received to see the place his conditioning is at, how he’s. I do know he’s conditioned in addition to he may be, however how his soccer conditioning is and stuff. However normally, I don’t chalk as much as numbers one yr to have an effect on the damage the following yr.”
No matter the way it occurred, it has saved McCaffrey from taking part in in any of the staff’s eight video games so far in 2024. Whether or not he can play is one factor. Whether or not he can play nicely sufficient to show round a season that may nonetheless skew by hook or by crook.
