The long wait for Christian McCaffrey appears to be coming to an end.
San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan said Thursday he expects the All-Pro running back to make his season debut this week against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers after a “great” performance in practice over the past two days, via KNBR.
McCaffrey has been out all season due to Achilles tendonitis and a tight calf. The problems first came when he picked up a late scratch in week 1. He was quickly placed on injured reserve, with a hazy timetable for returning to the field.
He was treated by a specialist in Germany in September and only returned to practice this week. This week he is listed as a limited participant in training for both Wednesday and Thursday.
With McCaffrey out, the 4-4 Niners have struggled to repeat their success from last season due to the running back’s absence as well as other factors. Jordan Mason has handled the bulk of the running duties, with 685 rushing yards and three touchdowns while averaging 5.1 yards per carry (McCaffrey averaged 5.4 yards last season).
Mason has also been dealing with injuries as he was limited on Thursday with a shoulder problem. Rookie Isaac Guerendo has also seen action with 227 yards on 6.1 yards per carry.
