A year removed from a statistically league-leading campaign, All-Pro running back Christian McCaffrey ended up missing several training camp practices with what the San Francisco 49ers were deeming as a precautionary measure against a minor injury.
Nothing to worry about, right?
If you are thinking this is August of 2024, you'd be correct. Or, if you're thinking it's August of 2026, you'd be correct, too. And it's troubling to see the same thing unfold again in a too-similar manner—injury issues on the tail of a high-use campaign.
McCaffrey's 2024 efforts were derailed by calf and tendinitis issues, which couldn't be covered up when he was shockingly placed on the inactive list for Week 1 against the New York Jets that season.
Yet the Niners seem to be following the same pathway entering 2026.
Christian McCaffrey is quietly missing too many 49ers practices
McCaffrey has now missed a full week of practices with what's being called, "tightness." With one preseason game already in the books, the hope is San Francisco is just exercising another precautionary effort here.
"No," head coach Kyle Shanahan responded when asked if he was concerned about CMC's latest setbacks. "My concern would be him toughing through tightness, like a lot of people do, and then hurting something bad and pulling something, which then it could be a month. That would be our concern."
If McCaffrey's 2024 trajectory went any other way, the coach's latest comments wouldn't be too concerning.
But, in light of the similarity between the two seasons, it's hard not to be worried.
49ers quickly approaching a nightmare situation (if Christian McCaffrey misses time)
At 30 years old, and with plenty of wear and tear on his body, one would think the 49ers would have excellent contingency plans in place if their top rusher missed extensive amounts of time.
Unfortunately, that's not shaping up to be the case.
Second-year pro Jordan James, scantly used a year ago, is dealing with a ribs injury. Rookie Kaelon Black has an adductor injury, leaving Shanahan with relatively few options out of the backfield. True, if either of those two return, or if McCaffrey is truly being saved for the regular season, the situation isn't as dire.
But that's not the kind of situation the Niners typically encounter, given their horrid injury reputation.
In 2024, San Francisco saw McCaffrey miss all but four games, No. 2 running back Jordan Mason get banged up halfway through the year, depth rusher Isaac Guerendo appear and then disappear with injury, and so on.
The last thing Shanahan and Co. need is a repeat of that development.
Unfortunately, the opening set of events in 2026 is looking eerily similar to what played out two years ago at this time.
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