The San Francisco 49ers got more bad injury news on Thursday as one expert suggested running back Christian McCaffrey could miss ‘a couple of months’ in his bout with Achilles tendinitis.
Eric Branch of The San Francisco Chronicle reports that McCaffrey can still fully recover from the injury. But after speaking with Dr. Kenton Fibel, the medical director of the NHL’s Anaheim Ducks, the reporter cautioned the 49ers against expecting McCaffrey back anytime soon.
McCaffrey went to Germany to consult with a specialist about his Achilles tendinitis, which Fibel sees as a red flag. Although he did not examine McCaffrey personally, Fibel sees McCaffrey’s trip to Germany as a way to access treatments that are not yet approved in the US by the Food and Drug Administration.
‘I think it more suggests this is an injury that they think they are going to need something more to augment his healing that may require weeks or a couple months rather than a week or two,’ Fibel, a a sports medicine specialist at Cedars-Sinai Kerlan-Jobe Institute in Los Angeles, told Branch.
‘This may be something where you realize the pathology is a little bit more serious and reserve a way to allow him to return this season, even if it does take a month or two with him needing a longer recovery.’
San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey before a preseason NFL football game
Coach Kyle Shanahan confirmed that McCaffrey made the trip in hopes of resolving an issue that has bothered him since early in training camp and has forced him onto injured reserve to start the season.
‘I know he’s going to see a specialist that I believe can help him with his Achilles process,’ Shanahan said Monday. ‘I think he’s doing that over these next few days, and hopefully, it’ll help.’
McCaffrey got hurt early in training camp and missed four weeks of practice before returning to the field on a limited basis before the season opener September 9 against the Jets.
He was a late scratch for that game and then went on injured reserve on September 14, two days after experiencing pain in the Achilles tendon following a practice. He is eligible to return for a Week 6 game at Seattle but there is no indication that he is close to being able to play.
McCaffrey led the NFL last season with 2,023 yards from scrimmage and was tied for the league lead with 21 touchdowns, winning AP Offensive Player of the Year.
After missing 23 games because of injuries in his final two full seasons with Carolina, McCaffrey had been healthy the past two seasons.
He missed only one game combined in 2022-23 — a meaningless Week 18 game last season for San Francisco when he had a sore calf. His 798 combined touches from scrimmage in the regular season and playoffs were the third most for any player in a two-year span in the past 10 years.
San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy is dealing with soreness in his back
Also injured on the offensive side of the ball are WR Deebo Samuel (L) and TE George Kittle (R)
The Niners have been heavily impacted by injuries early this season with star receiver Deebo Samuel and All-Pro tight end George Kittle also missing time, and defensive tackle Javon Hargrave likely suffering a season-ending injury Sunday.
Hargrave has a partially torn triceps that will require surgery. Shanahan said there is a possibility he could return if San Francisco makes a deep playoff run, but the team is planning on going the rest of the way without one of its top defensive players.
‘It’s a big one,’ Shanahan said. ‘I thought he had his best game yesterday. I thought he was a huge factor, really affected the quarterback in that game. It’s a big loss. He’s one of our better players. He was definitely going in the right direction and was going to have a big year.’
In other injury news, quarterback Brock Purdy has a sore back following Sunday’s loss. An MRI came back clean and Purdy is listed as day to day.
San Francisco should get Kittle back this week after he missed a game with a hamstring injury suffered in practice last week.
Shanahan said he hasn’t gotten any recent updates on the status of linebacker Dre Greenlaw, who is expected back sometime in the second half of the season after tearing his Achilles tendon in the Super Bowl.
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