October 6: According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the bilateral tendinitis is not regarded as a pressing concern, as the issue is mostly concentrated in just one of McCaffrey’s legs. CMC did indeed take part in on-field work this week, and he did not experience any setbacks with either his Achilles or his calf ailments.
There is still a chance that McCaffrey will return to game action for the 49ers’ Week 7 tilt with the Chiefs on October 20, provided that his recovery continues to go smoothly. It still seems that the Week 8 contest against the Cowboys or Week 10 matchup with the Bucs are more likely return dates — San Francisco has a Week 9 bye — but the fact that Week 7 is even in play is obviously good news.
October 4: Last we heard, NFL media was circulating good news coming off of Christian McCaffrey‘s medical trip to Germany, where he sought treatment for the Achilles tendinitis that has held him out of the season thus far. Reports claimed that McCaffrey would start running on hard ground this past week and that he was expected back by November. The next day, though, head coach Kyle Shanahan acknowledged that some updates were maybe not as optimistic, per Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle. 
Specifically, Shanahan confirmed reports that McCaffrey’s is dealing with bilateral Achilles tendinitis, meaning that the injury is affecting both of the running back’s lower limbs. In the quote, Shanahan hypothesizes that the injury manifested in one leg and that, due to compensating to stay off of that leg, it developed in the other leg as a result.
After being placed on injured reserve just before their Week 2 contest, McCaffrey still will be required to sit out one more game before he’s even eligible to return from IR, but no one seems to anticipate that early of a return. The reason for the extended recovery period is that the 49ers’ plan has been to give McCaffrey time simply to rest before returning for rehabilitation.
“We’ll try the ramp-up,” general manager John Lynch told the media, “and God willing, the thing has quieted down, and we can build him back up in a really smart and thoughtful way.”
While everyone seems to be saying all the right things at times, the air of uncertainty casts a shroud of doubt on the situation. Once McCaffrey reports back to practice, we’ll finally have some eyes on the situation and some expectations to come along with it. Until then, though, McCaffrey’s situation remains as cloudy as ever.
I wouldn’t even have him come back till week 9-10. Niners have to keep winning for this to not be a problem. Should have been the Rams…. Vikings game has to be a blip. Next man up has to keep healthy. Losing a guy every game is getting old.
There is zero reason to hurry him back. Mason is killing. Tell him to sit on the couch and rest. Check in around week 12 and see how it feels. Aim for a week 14-15 return, with a very slow ramp up. I just feel like this guy is on the verge of a devastating injury.
This offense has proven they don’t need an elite player at that position. Or any position, ESPECIALLY QB. Shannan is the best OC in the NFL.
Except when trying to close-out Super Bowls.
Such a blanket statement made by people who really have no idea what they are talking about. What about his play calling was so horrible. Be specific since you want to pretend you know what you are talking about. I want to know all the plays in detail and why he screwed up so badly and what you the expert would have done so differently. Especially with the benefit of hindsight. Call me crazy but I feel like Tom Brady and Patrick Mahomes had a lot more to do with those outcomes. But please let us know why that is inaccurate.
I apologize, ma’am. I was just joking.
“I’m just joking” code for I was talking out of my donkey and didn’t expect to get called on it. There I fixed it for you.
Doh! You got me!
My goodness. We do get triggered over something that has nothing to do with us, don’t we? Lighten up, Karen. Like 95% of the wannabes on here, you take this stuff way too seriously.
I asked you to give an example of what you were talking about. You confirmed you had no idea what you were talking about. I’m not triggered about anything. I’m not the one talking out of my rear that is all you. I just wanted to make sure you knew.
Thank you for the feedback. You are quite predictable, aren’t you, Li’l Kyle? Remember: Just like your daddy with Super Bowls, you are not going to win this either. Quit while you’re behind.
… yet you go into a monologue berating those who have “no idea what they’re talking about” without a shred of anything to support you being any different other than alluding to the talent levels of Mahomes & Brady
I can go into great detail and people who are involved in the game of football call him one of the best play callers and offensive minds in the game. Do you ever hear people involved in football say these things? Or is it just fanatics and talking heads on tv? Why can’t you or him give any examples? Just deflection. That’s what I thought.
Buckaroo I have to ask….do you honestly believe Kyle had more of an impact on those Super Bowls than Brady or Mahomes? If you say yes then you are clueless. If you say no then you made my point for me. So which is it yes or no?
The offense runs so well BECAUSE they have elite players in every position group. Take Trent Williams, CMC, Kittle, Deebo and Aiyuk and put them all on any other team then the team they go to will have an elite offense and Shanahan will be running a middle of the pack offense. When you get to the professional level the talent on the field matters significantly more than the x’s and o’s. Everybody working on an NFL team’s coaching staff knows the game of football, it almost always comes down to detail and execution and not gameplans.
This should be his last season. You can’t fix tendinitis. Can only get so many injections, and he has the rest of his life to try and walk pain free.