Christian McCaffrey limited at 49ers practice with calf issue

SANTA CLARA, Calif. — Christian McCaffrey surfaced on the 49ers’ practice report Thursday after being limited by a calf issue in practice.

A red flag from the Red and Gold? That is the initial instinct, because …

McCaffrey’s debut on the report relives 49ers’ nightmares from a year ago, when he surprisingly got scratched from their season opener and missed two months with Achilles tendinitis.

McCaffrey, the 2023 NFL Offensive Player of the Year, has looked back in superstar form as a steady presence in practice from the spring through training camp. He went through his routine warmups on Thursday, complete with high-knee activation sprints, before the media window closed after roughly 20 minutes.

McCaffrey did not speak to the media Thursday during his usual scheduled time. The 49ers open their season Sunday in Seattle against the Seahawks (1 p.m., Fox).

A team spokesman offered no further comment beyond the daily practice report, though the hope is McCaffrey’s health is nothing to panic about, yet.

Coach Kyle Shanahan said Wednesday that McCaffrey’s absence in last season’s last-place spiral was “really tough on him, tough on us.” The 49ers stashed McCaffrey out of three practices or full-team drills early in camp, but otherwise he was full-go and their No. 1 asset.

“I knew Christian was back just once he told me he was healthy,” Shanahan added Wednesday. “It’s not like we were thinking he wouldn’t come back from it. You know, you hope that stuff, the arthritis and everything goes away. Which it usually does. He was telling us that early in the offseason, so I felt pretty good about it.

“Christian’s not a liar. So, I didn’t think he was,” Shanahan added. “Then we saw him early in OTAs, he looked like the guy we’ve always known and he’s continued that.”

Brock Purdy and George Kittle both spoke after practice about how great McCaffrey has looked and neither indicated that he may have suffered a setback.

“There’s some kind of aura he has every time he is out there,” Purdy said. “Having him back, there’s nothing better.”

McCaffrey, for a second straight year, is one of the 49ers’ eight captains. His on-field impact is arguably the true steward of the 49ers’ offense.

Added Purdy: “It’s been awesome just going through camp with all the reps we’ve gotten, what he can do, what he brings to our offense, you know, running the ball and the defense not knowing if he’s going out for a pass.”

Said Kittle: “He seems very excited. He’s been excited since OTAs, he’s been excited since the season ended. I’m very, very much looking forward to being able to block for him and run routes next to him again.”

General manager John Lynch raved about McCaffrey’s health before practice, telling KNBR-680: “Obviously, our bellcow and one of the better players in the league is Christian. Having him healthy is just a godsend for our team. He looks tremendous.”

McCaffrey did not participate in any of the three preseason games, which is normal considering he has not had a preseason carry since 2019.

Last year, McCaffrey was shelved for the final few weeks of training camp with what initially was dubbed a calf strain, and despite returning to practice, he was scratched 90 minutes before kickoff of the 49ers’ season-opening win against the New York Jets, in which Jordan Mason excelled in his place. McCaffrey returned for a four-game stretch before injuring his posterior cruciate ligament on a hard fall in snowy Buffalo, ending his season as the 49ers lurched to a 6-11 finish.

The 49ers bolstered their depth behind McCaffrey by trading last month for Brian Robinson Jr., a three-year starter with Washington. Robinson spoke with McCaffrey as they warmed up on the side Thursday before team drills.

Robinson officially was acquired Aug. 24 for a 2026 sixth-round draft pick. A third-round pick out of Alabama, the 6-foot-1, 228-pound bruiser rushed for 797 yards, 733 and 799 yards in three seasons (37 starts, 41 games, 15 touchdowns) with Washington.

“B-Rob is an impressive looking guy,” Lynch added on KNBR. “What’s been impressive is how quickly he’s taken to what we do. It’s a nice issue to have, how we’re going to deploy all our weapons. That position group is going to be a strength of our team.”

The 49ers’ other running backs are second-year speedster Isaac Guerendo and rookie Jordan James, who had a knee issue early in training camp then required surgery on a fractured pinkie a couple of weeks ago.

Every player on the 53-man roster participated in practice, and the only others limited were wide receivers Jauan Jennings (calf) and Jordan Watkins (ankle), guard Dominick Puni (knee), defensive lineman Yetur Gross-Matos (knee) and running back Jordan James (finger).

Three Seahawks did not practice Thursday: cornerback Tariq Woolen (illness), wide receiver Dareke Young (hamstring) and guard Anthony Bradford (back); limited were linebacker Uchenna Nwosu (knee) and wide receivers Jake Bobo (concussion) and Cody White (shoulder).

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