Why was Christian McCaffrey limited for 49ers in 1st Week 11 practice?

Christian McCaffrey was limited in Wednesday’s practice, but that’s no reason for alarm.

The San Francisco 49ers have a new weekly problem to solve now that running back Christian McCaffrey has returned from Achilles tendinitis.

While it’s certainly a positive that the reigning Offensive Player of the Year is back in their lineup, the club now has to navigate managing his injury. Part of that will likely be limited practice work and plenty of appearances for McCaffrey on the practice participation report as a result.

McCaffrey debuted Sunday against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and notched 13 carries to go along with six receptions on seven targets. He got through the game without issue, but showed up on Wednesday’s practice report as a limited participant.

Head coach Kyle Shanahan before Wednesday’s session said there was no setback for McCaffrey and that his limited practice was a product of how the 49ers are choosing to manage the injury.

It wouldn’t be a huge surprise if McCaffrey didn’t have a full participation in a full practice the rest of the year.

There doesn’t appear to be any inkling from the club or Shanahan that McCaffrey’s workload will diminish greatly this year. He averaged 21.2 touches per game last season and came out of the gate with his 19 in Week 10.

Shanahan didn’t seem bothered by the number of touches McCaffrey received in his debut, indicating he’ll likely continue being the workhorse back for San Francisco. Where they will shortcut his usage is in practice where full participation isn’t required for McCaffrey to be effective during the week.

This may all change if he has a setback at some point, but for now we can get used to seeing McCaffrey on the participation report as less than a full participant.

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3 49ers starters miss 1st practice of Week 11 due to injury

49ers Wednesday practice report is crowded.

The San Francisco 49ers kicked off their Week 11 practices with a handful off injury issues keeping players from practicing in full.

In total, nine players were either absent from the session or limited. Three were limited, and four others missed the first practice of the week due to injury.

Among the non-injury related absences were cornerback Charvarius Ward and left tackle Trent Williams.

Ward is out while he works through a personal tragedy. Williams is getting his usual veteran rest day, although the team also listed an ankle injury for him alongside his ‘not injury related’ designation. Chances are Williams will be back in practice Thursday despite an ankle issue.

Here’s what Wednesday’s participation report looks like:

Did not participate

DE Nick Bosa (hip)
DT Kevin Givens (groin)
TE George Kittle (hamstring)
P Mitch Wishnowsky (back)
CB Charvarius Ward (not injury related – personal matter)
LT Trent Williams (ankle, not injury related – resting player)

Givens has missed the last two games and a non-participation Wednesday isn’t a great sign for a Week 11 return. Head coach Kyle Shanahan before Wednesday’s practice indicated Kittle wouldn’t participate, but expressed optimism about his availability for Sunday. He was less optimistic about Bosa, who played in Week 10 through a hip injury he sustained in practice. Wishnowsky’s back flared up in Week 10, and the team added a punter to their special teams unit.

Limited participation

WR Chris Conley (hamstring)
C Jon Feliciano (knee)
RB Christian McCaffrey (Achilles)

No surprises here. Conley would provide some depth at WR and Feliciano would provide depth on the O-line. San Francisco could’ve activated Feliciano off IR last week, but opted not to. McCaffrey’s limited session may be a regular occurrence this season while they manage his Achilles injury.

Full participation

CB Renardo Green (toe)
DE Yetur Gross-Matos (knee)

Green has been playing well and left Sunday’s game vs. the Buccaneers with a toe issue. His quick return is good for the 49ers’ secondary. Gross-Matos also was eligible to return from IR last week, but he was unable to suit up. A full practice is an optimistic sign he’ll return in Week 11.

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George Kittle to miss practice, but injury update is good for 49ers

Good news on George Kittle.

San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan on Wednesday had some good news regarding tight end George Kittle.

Kittle injured his hamstring during the 49ers’ Week 10 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Shanahan told reporters in a press conference before Wednesday’s practice that the All-Pro tight end wouldn’t take part in Wednesday’s session, but that the expectation was for him to return Thursday with a goal of playing Sunday.

Typically the 49ers’ offensive firepower is such that Kittle missing a game wouldn’t have been a huge deal. However, injuries to wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk and some struggles scoring touchdowns in the red zone have put outsized importance on Kittle as a pass catcher for San Francisco this year.

He’s the team’s leader in targets, receptions, receiving yards and receiving touchdowns. It’s worth noting given the red zone issues that all seven of Kittle’s TDs this season have come from inside the opponent’s 20.

There’s always a chance that a hamstring injury can flare up and cause a setback. However, the early positive prognosis from Shanahan is a good sign for his chances of suiting up in a huge game against the Seattle Seahawks. Shanahan is usually mum on injury optimism early in the week.

Kittle had a big game in the 49ers’ first game against Seattle in Week 6 this season. He hauled in five receptions for 58 yards and two touchdowns in that game.

The 49ers and Seahawks are slated to kick off for the second time this year Sunday at 1:05pm Pacific Time from Levi’s Stadium.

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49ers injury updates feature bad news for leading pass catcher

Injury updates from Kyle Shanahan, including some concern for TE George Kittle.

The San Francisco 49ers appeared to escape Tampa Bay with a win and no major injury issues, but head coach Kyle Shanahan on Monday had an update that featured a couple of new names.

Shanahan on Sunday after the game said cornerback Renardo Green’s toe injury was the only health issue the team was dealing with. Green is considered day-to-day according to Shanahan’s conference call with reporters on Monday.

That’s overall good news for the standout rookie CB and it doesn’t appear he’ll miss significant time, if any.

Tight end George Kittle is also dealing with what Shanahan classified as “hamstring irritation” during his conference call. He said they’ll manage Kittle throughout the week, but his status for Sunday against the Seattle Seahawks is unclear.

“Kittle had some hamstring irritation today,” Shanahan said. “So we’ll see how the week goes with him, see how he feels on Wednesday.”

Kittle had three catches for 57 yards and a touchdown in Sunday’s win over the Buccaneers. He leads the team with 43 receptions, 560 yards and seven touchdowns in eight games this season. With Brandon Aiyuk already out for the season, missing Kittle for any amount of time would be a significant blow to the 49ers’ offense. He’s a go-to pass catcher for quarterback Brock Purdy and an offensive spark for the 49ers. They don’t have anyone to adequately replace his skill set, so it’ll be all hands on deck in Week 11 if the 49ers are without their All-Pro TE.

Punter Mitch Wishnowsky was dealing with a back injury in the days leading up to Week 10 and he’s now dealing with a “flare up” according to Shanahan. The club is looking into various treatment options for their punter. It’s unclear if Wishnowsky will be able to kick in Week 11. The team doesn’t have another punter on its roster or practice squad as of Monday.

The good news for San Francisco is that running back Christian McCaffrey, and WRs Jauan Jennings and Deebo Samuel didn’t pop up in any of Shanahan’s updates. That’s an indication they all got through the game healthy after dealing with injury problems going into Sunday.

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49ers officially make potential season-saving roster move

The 49ers have officially activated Christian McCaffrey.

The San Francisco 49ers on Saturday officially announced the return of superstar running back and reigning Offensive Player of the Year Christian McCaffrey.

McCaffrey has been out the entire season while battling Achilles tendinitis. His recovery involved missing the first eight games, making a trip to Germany for treatment, and working out at the team facility during their Bye week to ramp up for a return to practice ahead of Week 10.

By getting through Monday’s bonus session and three normal days of practice without issue, McCaffrey put himself on track to return Sunday against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Head coach Kyle Shanahan told reporters during his post-practice press conference that the team anticipated making the move to bring him back on IR for the first game after their Bye week.

McCaffrey should help cure the biggest offensive ailment for the 49ers this season: scoring touchdowns.

While San Francisco has moved the ball efficiently without McCaffrey, they’ve had a hard time finding the end zone. The inability to turn red zone trips into touchdowns was a key reason they suffered a couple of their losses early in the year.

Last season McCaffrey led the NFL with 21 touchdowns from scrimmage. The 49ers also led the NFL with a 67.2 percent red zone conversion rate. This year that number has dipped to 42.9 percent, which is 26th in the league. If McCaffrey can help the 49ers get in the end zone more often, they should be able to make another second-half run and punch their ticket to the postseason for the fourth consecutive season.

The 49ers also announced veteran safety Tashaun Gipson would be elevated for Sunday’s game. He may be in the mix to start if rookie safety Malik Mustapha can’t play. The team officially listed him as questionable with a calf injury.

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49ers may turn to familiar face at safety as standout rookie battles injury

There may be a familiar face back in the secondary for the 49ers on Sunday.

The San Francisco 49ers recently brought a familiar face back onto their practice squad. Now they may need to turn to that familiar face in their Week 10 matchup against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Tashaun Gipson was released by the Jacksonville Jaguars and quickly scooped up by the 49ers to join their practice squad. He offered good internal depth San Francisco knew it could rely on after he spent the 2022 and 2023 campaigns as the 49ers’ starting free safety.

Rookie Malik Mustapha has stepped into a starting role nicely after veteran Talanoa Hufanga went down with a wrist injury. Now Mustapha is dealing with an injury of his own, opening the door for Gipson to get back on the roster for game day.

Mustapha suffered a calf injury that limited him in Thursday and Friday’s practices. He’s officially listed as ‘questionable.’ Head coach Kyle Shanahan on Friday told reporters Gipson is a potential replacement for Mustapha if the rookie can’t go Sunday.

“Yeah, he is in the mix,” Shanahan said. “Especially with Mustapha being questionable. He got a week in practice at Jacksonville, he’s done awesome this week in his three days. And we’ll discuss that with him over these next 24 hours. It’s nicer being on the east coast, we get until four o’clock instead of one. But those are all things that he looks good enough to do it. Just kind of depends on the health of everyone else.”

Gipson spent most of the preseason with the Jaguars after signing in mid-August. He didn’t appear in a game for them before getting released in early November.

He played in 33 games across two seasons with the 49ers, and registered six interceptions with 11 pass breakups.

The 49ers and Buccaneers are slated to kick off at 10:00am Pacific Time from Raymond James Stadium.

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Will Deebo Samuel play this week? Injury updates for 49ers WR

49ers WR Deebo Samuel is working through rib and oblique injuries. Here are the latest updates.

Brandon Aiyuk’s season-ending knee injury isn’t the only health issue the San Francisco 49ers are dealing with at wide receiver.

WR Deebo Samuel is also working through a couple of injuries. He has rib and oblique ailments he sustained in the 49ers’ Week 8 win over the Dallas Cowboys.

Here is the latest on Samuel’s status for Sunday when the 49ers take on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Central Florida.

Deebo Samuel injury update

Samuel is officially listed as ‘questionable’ on the team’s injury report. He was limited in all three practices during the week.

How long will Deebo Samuel be out?

The pair of injuries don’t appear to be serious. Samuel got through practice without any setbacks. If he’s unable to go in Week 10, it stands to reason he’ll be back in Week 11 when the 49ers host the Seattle Seahawks.

49ers WR depth chart

If Samuel is unable to go, rookie WR Ricky Pearsall would likely be thrust into a much bigger role. Samuel’s fellow WR Jauan Jennings is also listed as questionable with a hip injury. Jennings would step into a WR1 role if he’s active and Samuel isn’t. Behind them it’s a mixed bag. Rookie Jacob Cowing might see some time, but the team would more likely lean on veteran Chris Conley and second-year WR Ronnie Bell.

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49ers waive RB, pave way for Christian McCaffrey return

49ers roster move, but no CMC activation yet.

The San Francisco 49ers are officially gearing up for the return of running back Christian McCaffrey.

While they haven’t officially activated McCaffrey off IR, they did make a roster move Friday to clear a 53-man roster spot for the reigning Offensive Player of the Year.

The 49ers on Friday announced running back Patrick Taylor was waived. There was no corresponding move announced, presumably because the spot is being given to McCaffrey.

Taylor joined the 49ers in the offseason and primarily contributed on special teams. He wound up seeing some action on offense while RB Jordan Mason dealt with a shoulder injury. Taylor posted seven carries for 25 yards and one catch for 12 yards on 21 snaps in Weeks 6 and 8.

McCaffrey’s return lessens the need for RB depth in San Francisco. He’ll be backed up by Mason and rookie RB Isaac Guerendo.

It wouldn’t be a surprise to see Taylor re-sign with the 49ers’ practice squad to work as internal depth since they don’t carry an RB on that portion of their roster.

The roster move to officially activate McCaffrey will likely occur Saturday before the 49ers visit the Buccaneers in Tampa Bay. McCaffrey has missed the entire season with Achilles tendinitis. His practice window was opened Monday and he is expected to play in Week 10.

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Will Jordan Mason play this week? Injury updates for 49ers RB

49ers RB Jordan Mason is dealing with a shoulder injury. Here are the latest updates.

The San Francisco 49ers aren’t out of the woods yet with injuries in their offensive backfield.

RB Christian McCaffrey is expected to return in Week 10 when the 49ers take on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but they may not have his backup Jordan Mason.

Mason was a breakout star for the 49ers offense while McCaffrey was out, racking up 685 rushing yards and three rushing touchdowns on 134 carries. He injured his shoulder in the first half of the 49ers’ Week 6 matchup with the Seattle Seahawks and didn’t return to the game. Then he made it through Week 7 before re-aggravating the injury in Week 8 and missing the entire second half again.

Here’s the latest on Mason heading into Week 10:

Jordan Mason injury update

It looked like Mason was on track to play after being listed as a full participant in Wednesday’s practice. Thursday was a different story though with Mason being given a ‘limited participation’ designation, putting his status for Week 10 in doubt.

How long will Jordan Mason be out?

There’s no clear timeline for Mason to return from his AC joint sprain. He got through Week 7 without any issue, and he may still play in Week 10. It doesn’t appear as though the injury is serious enough for him to miss significant time. With McCaffrey returning, the team may opt to give Mason another week to fully heal. There’s no indicator he’s in danger of a long-term absence though.

49ers RB depth chart

McCaffrey will be atop the depth chart, and Mason figures to get some work spelling him as the reigning Offensive Player of the Year returns from Achilles tendinitis. If Mason can’t go, rookie RB Isaac Guerendo would be the next man up, followed by RB Patrick Taylor. Guerendo had his best game as a pro in Week 8, running 14 times for 85 yards and his first-career touchdown.

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49ers injury update has some bad news for breakout star RB

Jordan Mason was a full go in Wednesday’s practice, but that wasn’t the case Thursday:

The San Francisco 49ers didn’t have many changes on their Thursday’ practice participation report.

It’s not a huge surprise that Thursday didn’t feature many differences from Wednesday since generally players limited to start the week will remain limited. Eight players were limited in Wednesday’s practice.

More noteworthy things on a practice report during the week are setbacks or players going the other direction toward less participation. San Francisco had a couple of those on Thursday’s participation report with running back Jordan Mason and safety Malik Mustapha showing up as limited participants after full practices Wednesday.

Mason is dealing with a shoulder injury he suffered in Week 6. He was listed as a full participant on Wednesday. Mustapha wasn’t on the report which indicates his calf injury happened at some point during the week.

It’ll be worth monitoring both closely Friday to see if their participation progresses.

Here’s Thursday’s report:

Did not participate

WR Chris Conley (hamstring)
DT Kevin Givens (groin)
CB Charvarius Ward (not injury related – personal matter)

This trio is trending toward not playing in Sunday’s game.

Limited participation

DE Nick Bosa (hip)
OL Jon Feliciano (knee)
DL Yetur Gross-Matos (knee)
WR Jauan Jennings (hip)
RB Jordan Mason (shoulder)
RB Christian McCaffrey (Achilles)
K Jake Moody (ankle)
S Malik Mustapha (calf)
WR Deebo Samuel (rib, oblique)
P Mitch Wishnowsky (back)

Mustapha and Mason showing up here is a little alarming. That the rest of the group, specifically Bosa, McCaffrey, Jennings and Samuel, didn’t have any setbacks is a good sign for their availability Sunday.

Full participation

LT Trent Williams
QB Brandon Allen (finger)
CB Renardo Green (ankle)

LB Dee Winters (concussion)

Good news for the 49ers that neither Green nor Winters suffered a setback.

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