Christian McCaffrey
Christian McCaffrey is battling a hamstring injury, but the star running back should return for Week 9’s action. Originally entering the league as a first-round pick in the 2017 NFL Draft, the Stanford product immediately took the league by storm as one of the game’s most impressive dual threats and never looked back. A four-time Pro Bowler and three-time First-Team All-Pro, the running back led the league in total yards from scrimmage and touchdowns on two occasions throughout his 10-year career.
While he hasn’t been as dominant in 2026, Christian McCaffrey has still been a solid player. Through the first seven games of the season, the running back has recorded 389 yards and a league-leading eight rushing touchdowns on 84 attempts, along with 34 receptions for 251 yards. However, he suffered a hamstring injury in the team’s Week 7 loss to the Atlanta Falcons, but head coach Kyle Shanahan doesn’t seem too concerned about it at the time. This proved to be a justified reaction, as NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport tweeted that the running back will play in Week 9.
Christian McCaffrey
| Source: Lastwordonsports.com - David Latham, Managing Editor
Christian McCaffrey Injury Update: 49ers RB Will Play Week 9
The Last Word
This is a positive update for Christian McCaffrey, but only time will tell if he can stay healthy. McCaffrey has an extensive injury history, is getting up there in age, and hasn’t played up to his usual ridiculous standard. Now 6-1, San Francisco sits comfortably atop the NFC West but cannot afford to get complacent with the division lead. The Seattle Seahawks and Los Angeles Rams have plenty of talent and are more than capable of getting hot in the back half of the season and pushing for the NFC West crown.
In the event Christian McCaffrey isn’t at full strength, the 49ers will turn the backfield over to rookie Kaelon Black. The third-round pick has looked good in limited opportunities, recording 233 rushing yards and one touchdown on 57 attempts thus far in the season.
Main Photo: Dale Zanine – Imagn Images