Christian McCaffrey has run into another injury scare.
The 49ers listed McCaffrey, 29, as a limited participant in practice Thursday due to a calf injury ahead of Sunday’s Week 1 opener.
As a result of an Achilles injury last year, McCaffrey missed the majority of last season, playing in just four games for the 49ers.
The Stanford alumnus also missed significant amounts of time during the 2020 and 2021 seasons due to numerous injuries, playing just 10 games across the two years.
Up until this point, McCaffrey has appeared healthy in training camp for San Francisco, with head coach Kyle Shanahan saying last month that the running back was starting to look like his old self.
“Yeah. I think he hit like 25 [mph] yesterday or something like that. I’m just making that up,” Shanahan told reporters in response to McCaffrey resembling his 2023 self when he won Offensive Player of the Year en route to his second All-Pro nod.
“Trying to make Christian happy. He’s doing awesome. He’s as fast as he’s been. He’s quick. He’s strong. He’s Christian McCaffrey.”
In addition to Shanahan, players have also spoken on McCaffrey’s health, with left tackle Trent Williams telling reporters in August that the two-time All-Pro was “100 percent healthy.”
“You all have eyes like I do, Christian looks fantastic,” Williams told reporters. “He looks like Offensive- Player-of-the-Year Christian. So that’s really, really refreshing to see, knowing what he had to deal with last year, just the little nicks and knacks and not being able to do what he loves.
“To see him out there this year 100 percent healthy, treating every play like it’s his last, playing with his hair on fire. It really motivates the guys when you got a generational talent that brings it to work and to practice every day.”
San Francisco quarterback Brock Purdy also had said McCaffrey is “ready to get after it” this season.
“Obviously physically he looks great, getting in and out of cuts, running hard. Back to the McCaffrey that we all know,” Purdy said. “And then mentally he’s just, he’s on one, like he’s ready to get after it with the season and obviously from beginning to end, like play a whole season and go hard.
“That’s who he is. He keeps telling all of us in the locker room, he’s like, ‘Dude, I can’t wait. I can’t wait.’”
