San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey could be back on the field sooner rather than later. McCaffrey, who recently flew to Germany for treatment and a second opinion on his ongoing Achilles tendonitis, is targeting a return in early November, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.
McCaffrey, who missed the first game of the season with the injury, went on IR before Week 2 and ruled him out until at least Week 5. This new schedule would see the three-time Pro Bowl running back return in Week 9 or 10. .
According to Rapoport, McCaffrey underwent a treatment in Germany similar to a PRP treatment, in which doctors inject the patient’s own platelets into the injury site in an attempt to speed up the healing process. The treatment apparently went well and according to Rapoport, McCaffrey may be able to start running on hard terrain this week.
McCaffrey, the reigning AP NFL Offensive Player of the Year, was out late in Week 1, when the 49ers announced he would be inactive just a few hours before kickoff against the New York Jets. The 49ers managed to win that game handily without their top running back, but have since fallen to 1-2.
As for the early November schedule, it’s likely that McCaffrey will miss a few additional games after the four-game IR stint. The 49ers have a bye in the first week of November, but could welcome the 28-year-old running back for Week 10 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on November 10.
Jordan Mason replaced McCaffrey as San Francisco’s RB1, racking up 324 yards and two touchdowns for the third straight year in McCaffrey’s absence to start the season.
