San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan, left, talks to line judge Brian Perry (97) during the second half of an NFL football game against the Atlanta Falcons in Atlanta, Sunday, Oct. 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)
San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan, left, talks to line judge Brian Perry (97) during the second half of an NFL football game against the Atlanta Falcons in Atlanta, Sunday, Oct. 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)
Cam Inman, 49ers beat and NFL reporter, San Jose Mercury News, for his Wordpress profile. (Michael Malone/Bay Area News Group)
Cam Inman, 49ers beat and NFL reporter, San Jose Mercury News, for his Wordpress profile. (Michael Malone/Bay Area News Group)
SANTA CLARA – Coach Kyle Shanahan’s 49ers have another injury to worry about entering the bye week with their first-place, 6-1 record. It’s apparently not a major injury, however, even if it involves a marquee player.
Running back Christian McCaffrey’s leg injury, sustained on the opening drive of Sunday’s 29-20 loss at Atlanta, has been reframed as a mild hamstring strain, after initially being dubbed as a quadriceps issue.
“We’re pretty optimistic about it,” Shanahan said Monday in a conference call with reporters.
So optimistic that McCaffrey is expected to benefit from this week’s bye and be available for the 49ers’ next game, Nov. 8 against the Raiders.
“My leg just died on me and I tried to get it going for the whole rest of the game,” McCaffrey said postgame, after totaling 69 yards on the first drive but just 31 yards afterward as he tried to loosen up his leg.
As short-handed as the 49ers were in Atlanta with just four wide receivers in uniform, Shanahan is expecting to a post-bye return from Mike Evans (Achilles), Deebo Samuel (hamstring) and Demarcus Robinson (ankle).
Defensive end Nick Bosa (calf) also figures to be available for that Raiders matchup after missing the past five games, and the 49ers’ defense also could welcome back safety Marques Sigel (ankle), defensive tackle C.J. West (knee) and linebackers Luke Gifford (hamstring) and Garrett Wallow (groin).
“All have a chance after the bye but none are guaranteed,” Shanahan said.
As for rookie wide receiver De’Zhaun Stribling, the 49ers are hoping for a December comeback after he required ankle surgery following the season-opening win over the Rams in Australia.
KICKER SITUATION
Kicker Eddy Piñeiro, after missing a point-after or field-goal attempt in five straight games, is not facing immediate competition.
“As far as I’ve heard, we don’t have any plans on that right now,” Shanahan said of potential tryouts.
Piñeiro missed a point-after attempt following a fourth-quarter touchdown Sunday, his fourth miss in 25 point-after tries this season; he is 6-of-9 on field-goal attempts after making 31-of-32 last season through the playoffs as Jake Moody’s Week 2 successor.
TRADE TALK
While general manager John Lynch and the personnel staff are discussing trade scenarios “seven days a week,” Shanahan said he will “watch stuff” over the bye week, too. The trade deadline is Nov. 10.
“If there’s stuff that makes sense to improve our team in any spot, we’d love for that to happen,” Shanahan said. “The obvious injury spots to us have been at receiver and D-line. We are getting a number of guys back at both positions, but that doesn’t exclude us from looking for help.”