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49ers Announce Christian McCaffrey News After Missing Practice on Wednesday

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Paolo Songco | Last updated Sep 11, 2025 7:06 PM ET

The San Francisco 49ers have found themselves in a tough position yet again after just one game played in the new season. George Kittle has been placed on injured reserve with a hamstring issue, which was followed by Brock Purdy being diagnosed with a turf toe injury that will cost the star quarterback multiple weeks on the sidelines.

The Niners, however, got some good news on Thursday ahead of their Week 2 matchup against the New Orleans Saints. This comes in the form of Christian McCaffrey taking part in practice after sitting out on Wednesday.

The team announced McCaffrey’s return to practice on Thursday via the official NFL injury report.

Unlike last Thursday, Christian McCaffrey was a full participant in practice pic.twitter.com/jcJVpHWHvU
— Cam Inman (@CamInman) September 11, 2025

This is a welcome development for the Niners, who, at this point, cannot afford to lose any more of their star players so early in the campaign. McCaffrey, who missed the majority of the 2024 campaign due to a knee injury, has been nursing a calf issue since the preseason.

The two-time All-Pro running back entered San Francisco’s season opener with a questionable tag, but was ultimately given the green light to play. He helped lead the Niners to a 17-13 win over the Seattle Seahawks, registering 22 carries for 69 yards and nine receptions for 73 yards on 10 targets.

McCaffrey’s absence from practice on Wednesday was for rest purposes, and the fact that he was able to practice in full on Thursday likely means that he will be available for the Saints game.

With Purdy and Kittle out, and wide receiver Jauan Jennings seemingly trending towards sitting out as well, McCaffrey will likely be asked to take on a heavier workload in Week 2 as the Niners look to improve to 2-0.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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