49ers GM John Lynch evaluates Christian McCaffrey's return

The San Francisco 49ers entered their season opener against the Seattle Seahawks with significant uncertainty surrounding Christian McCaffrey. The All-Pro running back appeared on the Week 1 injury report with a calf issue—a concerning reminder of last year, when he missed the first eight games of the season.

Despite the doubts, McCaffrey suited up on Sunday. He carried a heavy workload, touching the football 31 times and racking up 142 scrimmage yards in the 49ers' 17-13 win over their NFC West rivals.

"It was nothing serious," McCaffrey said this week. "It never was. I knew I was gonna play. I just wanted to be smart with it."

General manager John Lynch joined Bay Area radio station KNBR on Thursday to share his perspective on McCaffrey's return and the confidence it brings to the 49ers' offense.

"The guy's just such a good football player," Lynch said. "Whether it be running the football inside, running the football outside, catching the football out of the backfield, or split out as a receiver, screen game, he just does everything well.

"I know there was a lot of talk, and probably some form of PTSD from last year, and he got a little tight out of practice. Yeah, there was kind of an ominous feeling out there on Thursday when he pulled himself, and the trainers decided to keep him out. But shortly thereafter, we felt like we had averted anything significant here.

"And then it turns to like, is he going to be all right to play? And it sure looked like it to me. And the cool thing is to know that Christian is just getting going. He's going to keep playing at a high level because that's just who he is."

Depth behind McCaffrey

The 49ers bolstered their running back room before the season, acquiring Brian Robinson Jr. from the Washington Commanders to provide more experienced depth behind McCaffrey.

Robinson won't be alone in supporting the star running back.

"Jordan James (finger) is now going to be healthy this week, whether he's up or not," Lynch noted. "One thing [Isaac] Guerendo has, which you can't teach, is all-out speed. He's become a better football player this offseason.

"I'm really excited about that whole group, but obviously, when the bell cow is Christian McCaffrey, that's good for your side. And it's just fun to watch him play."

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