San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey could be making his way to the field sooner rather than later. McCaffrey, who recently flew to Germany for treatment and a second opinion on his ongoing Achilles tendinitis, is aiming for an early November return, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.
McCaffrey, who missed the first game of the season with the injury, went on IR ahead of Week 2, ruling him out through at least Week 5. This new timetable would see the three-time Pro Bowl running back returning in Week 9 or 10.
Per Rapoport, McCaffrey underwent a treatment in Germany that is similar to a PRP treatment, where doctors inject the patient’s own platelets into the injury site in an effort to help speed along the healing process. The treatment apparently went well, and McCaffrey can potentially start running on hard ground this week, according to Rapoport.
McCaffrey, the reigning AP NFL Offensive Player of the Year, was a late scratch in Week 1, with the 49ers announcing that he would be inactive just a few hours before kickoff against the New York Jets. The 49ers were able to win that game handily without their top running back, but have since fallen to 1-2.
In terms of the early-November timetable, it is likely that McCaffrey will be out for a few additional games past the four-game IR stint. The 49ers also have a bye in the first week of November, but could welcome back the 28-year-old running back for Week 10 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on November 10.
Jordan Mason replaced McCaffrey as San Francisco’s RB1, with the third-year running back racking up 324 yards and two touchdowns in McCaffrey’s absence to start the season.