UPDATE: 12:52 p.m. ET: Fox NFL Sunday host Jay Glazer reported that Christian McCaffrey will be a “full-go” in Week 1 during the pregame show. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport mirrored a similar message, saying he is expected to play and was a “big participant in walkthrough on Saturday.”
Nightmares of last season flashed to the front of the minds of fantasy football owners and 49ers fans alike as Christian McCaffrey’s name made its way onto the injury report ahead of today’s Week 1 matchup. But the 29-year-old is reportedly “good to go,” per ESPN’s Adam Schefter, as the 49ers take on the Seahawks to start the season.
McCaffrey had an injury-riddled season last year in which he was limited to just four games, his fewest since 2020. He dealt with a PCL injury as well as issues with his ankle and Achilles, which resulted in him producing a career-low 202 rushing yards and failing to find the end zone for the only time in his career.
Panic arose when McCaffrey’s name popped back onto the injury report this week with a questionable tag. The current calf issue is considered to be unrelated to last year’s Achilles tendinitis. He missed practice on Friday, and head coach Kyle Shanahan has been increasingly guarded on committing to his outlook. McCaffrey, to his credit, has done his best to downplay the situation and was optimistic about how he feels.
Seeing the 49ers star go from a full participant on Wednesday’s practice to limited on Thursday and then out completely on Friday raises a few eyebrows. But ultimately, McCaffrey is set to take the field and will look to make an impact in the opening week matchup against the Seahawks today.
How much of this is a legitimate concern, and how much is just being overly cautious or perhaps playing some mind games, is still to be determined. It is worth at least noting that San Francisco traded for Brian Robinson Jr from the Commanders just two weeks ago during training camp. Robinson Jr has starting experience and will be a name to monitor if this situation continues.
There should still be a close watch on San Francisco if there is some gamesmanship being played. But all signs and reports indicate McCaffrey is expected to be active and a full go in Week 1 today. When he is healthy, he is still among the most dangerous running backs in all of football. The former Offensive Player of the Year led the entire league in rushing yards (1459), yards from scrimmage (2023), and total touchdowns (2021) in the 2023 season.
San Francisco will enter as narrow 1.5-point favorites and -130 on the moneyline on DraftKings Sportsbook for the matchup with the game total set a 43.5.
Christian McCaffrey holds a rushing prop of over/under 62.5 yards, a receiving prop of 28.5 yards, and holds -115 odds of an anytime touchdown on DraftKings Sportsbook.
