The long wait for Christian McCaffrey appears to be coming to an end.
San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan said Thursday he expects the All-Pro running back to make his season debut this week against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers after an “awesome” performance at practice in the past two days, via KNBR.
McCaffrey has been out all season due to Achilles tendinitis and calf tightness, with trouble first coming when he was a late scratch in Week 1. He was soon placed on injured reserve, with a hazy timetable to return to the field.
He underwent treatment from a specialist in Germany in September and didn’t return to practice until this week. This week, he has been listed as a limited participant in practice for both Wednesday and Thursday.
With McCaffrey out, the 4-4 Niners have struggled to replicate their success from last season, due to both the running back’s absence and other factors. Jordan Mason has handled the bulk of running duties, posting 685 rushing yards and three touchdowns while averaging 5.1 yards per carry (McCaffrey averaged 5.4 yards last season).
Mason has also been dealing with injuries, as he was limited Thursday due to a shoulder issue. Rookie Isaac Guerendo has also seen action with 227 yards on 6.1 yards per carry.