The San Francisco 49ers received some troubling injury news on running back Christian McCaffrey in the week leading up to their Week 1 game against their divisional rival, the Seattle Seahawks.
McCaffrey popped up on the injury report on Thursday after he was forced to stop practicing early due to a calf injury.
It was particularly concerning that McCaffrey suffered the injury to that part of his body because he dealt with calf issues last season, which led to him playing in just four games the entire year.
McCaffrey didn’t practice on Friday after his limited session on Thursday and was listed as questionable on the team’s final injury report.
Here’s what we know about his status for Week 1.
Is Christian McCaffrey playing today?
UPDATE: ESPN’s Adam Schefter has confirmed that McCaffrey will indeed play today and is “good to go,” according to a source.
49ers RB Christian McCaffrey, who was added to the injury report Thursday with a calf issue, will play today vs. the Seahawks. “He’s good to go,” said one source. pic.twitter.com/K58t9DFlhq
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) September 7, 2025
END OF UPDATE
Even though he’s questionable, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reports that “all signs are pointing to” McCaffrey suiting up against the Seahawks.
Rapoport adds that, despite the fact that he didn’t practice on Friday, McCaffrey was “running around on the side during practice,” which is a good sign.
This backs up what McCaffrey said on Friday. The star running back said he planned to play and noted that the concern surrounding his calf issue was overblown.
“Nothing serious,” McCaffrey said. “I feel great about where I’m at. Unfortunately, when you have the injury history that I have, sometimes when you don’t practice things get blown out of proportion.”
If he does play, there’s a chance that McCaffrey won’t be a full go, although that has not been confirmed. It does make sense, however, as this is just Week 1 and there’s a long season ahead of him.
The 49ers also have solid options behind McCaffrey to help pick up the slack. The team acquired Brian Robinson Jr. from the Washington Commanders and still has 2024 fourth-round pick Isaac Guerendo, who showed plenty of promise in 2024.
MORE NFL NEWS
