Christian McCaffrey Injury Update: 49ers RB Breaks Silence After Popping Up on Injury Report

Injury concerns are an unfortunate reality in the NFL, but especially for the San Francisco 49ers as of late.

It’s certainly bad timing, as the 49ers are slated to open their 2025 regular season on Sunday against the Seattle Seahawks. On Thursday, San Francisco added another player to the list: running back Christian McCaffrey. Given the injury issues he dealt with all of last season, 49ers fans and fantasy managers were understandably anxious.

What Happened to Christian McCaffrey?

The 49ers listed the superstar running back as limited at Thursday’s practice due to a calf issue. He also did not practice on Friday — instead, he worked out on the side by himself.

Niners head coach Kyle Shanahan confirmed that the calf injury is new and occurred during practice.

49ers are listing RB Christian McCaffrey as limited at today’s practice due to a calf issue.

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) September 4, 2025

Injury concerns have followed McCaffrey in recent years. Just one year ago, he was a surprise scratch from San Francisco’s season opener and missed two months (eight games) due to Achilles tendinitis. After coming back from the injury, he suffered a PCL injury in the Week 13 loss to the Buffalo Bills, ending his season.

McCaffrey did not participate in any of the 49ers’ preseason matchups, which is common for starters. He has not had a preseason carry since 2019. He was healthy entering training camp, but this latest injury is certainly concerning given his recent history.

Will McCaffrey Play Against the Seahawks?

After Friday’s practice, McCaffrey told reporters that he “feels fine” and he expects to play in Week 1 against Seattle. This is a huge relief for 49ers fans and fantasy managers who took a chance on the star running back.

Christian McCaffrey: “Unfortunately, when you have the injury history that I have, sometimes when you don’t practice things get blown out of proportion, but I feel great.”

Added that he’s proud of himself for shutting it down/playing it safe on Thursday: pic.twitter.com/YPPetvt8rT

— David Lombardi (@LombardiHimself) September 5, 2025

McCaffrey is officially listed as questionable for Sunday’s game. Shanahan was asked how concerned he is about McCaffrey’s injury with Week 1 right around the corner, and he gave a snarky response.

“Questionable concern,” said the 49ers head coach. “I’m not going to say anything about Christian, guys.”

McCaffrey has played in the NFL since 2017 and has been with San Francisco since 2022. Over his career, he has tallied 6,387 rushing yards and 52 touchdowns on 1,347 carries. The 5’11”, 210-pound running back has also added 4,466 receiving yards and 29 touchdowns on 524 receptions.

The 49ers face the Seahawks at Lumen Field in Seattle on Sunday at 4:05 p.m. ET.

McCaffrey’s Fantasy Outlook for Week 1

PFSN’s Kyle Soppe wrote this about McCaffrey’s fantasy outlook entering Week 1 against the Seahawks:

You did it. If you’re reading this, you took the plunge on Christian McCaffrey this summer, and for that, I commend you. It’s a move made by managers who enjoy winning more than they fear losing, and that’s generally how I like to approach this game.

You’ve done the hard part. Now, you just sit back and watch. And hope. And maybe pray, if that’s your thing.

McCaffrey, famous for never leaving the field when he’s at the peak of his powers, has been a fantasy monster for as long as we’ve known him. Consider this: in games where he has played at least 80% of the offensive snaps, a relatively low bar for him to clear, he has averaged 25.8 PPR points per game.

That’s a 55-game sample of production that is almost impossible to grasp. His output in those games surpasses the 2024 season’s RB1, Saquon Barkley, by more points per game than the margin that separated Barkley from RB5 Alvin Kamara. In fact, that 25.8 number is more than a pair of top-24 running backs from last season, D’Andre Swift and Tony Pollard, combined.

As far as we know, the CMC plan is in full effect for the San Francisco 49ers. The team profiles as less potent than in years past, and with that, McCaffrey isn’t likely to come off the field. You already know that. You’re looking for a quirky stat to highlight his greatness, and I’m nothing if not a man of the people.

So, here it is: McCaffrey has averaged 25.9 PPR points over his last 10 games against bird-themed teams.