49ers Open Practice Window for Christian McCaffrey

Excellent news has emerged today for Christian McCaffrey returning to the field for the 49ers.

Feb 11, 2024; Paradise, Nevada, USA; San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey (23) celebrates after scoring a touchdown in the first half of Super Bowl LVIII at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images / Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

The reigning NFL Offensive Player of the Year is back.

The San Francisco 49ers are opening the practice window for Christian McCaffrey on Monday, per NFL Network's Tom Pelissero. McCaffrey returning to practice today is something that Kyle Shanahan said would happen so long as he suffered no setbacks.

“It depends how this week goes," said Shanahan on Oct. 28. "He's had no setbacks, so it looks like we're on track. But we're going to, he's going to hit it hard this week while we're gone and kind of simulate some practice stuff for himself. And as long as it all goes good, hopefully we'll get him back in practice next week.”

#49ers star RB Christian McCaffrey will return to practice today for the first time since going on injured reserve Sept. 14 with an Achilles injury.

If all goes well, McCaffrey could make his season debut as soon as next Sunday vs. the #Bucs. pic.twitter.com/HYLSQLsFCu

— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) November 4, 2024

Sure enough, McCaffrey has looked the part and will now get to practice for the first time in almost two months. His return to practice today gives him a chance to be active in Week 10 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. It will be curious to see what his workload will be if he returns this week.

McCaffrey has typically been a workhorse for the 49ers, but that could change after his Achilles flare-up. The 49ers will not want to overwork McCaffrey and risk aggravating his Achilles again or worse. Whenever he makes his return, McCaffrey should be on a snap count.

Let him slowly integrate back into the game. In fact, it wouldn't be a bad idea to utilize a committee at running back. The one benefit of McCaffrey's absence is that it's allowed the 49ers to see what they have in Jordan Mason and rookie Isaac Guerendo. Each of these players provides a unique dynamic from McCaffrey.

The 49ers should go back to their 2019 ways of utilizing a committee. It will be keep McCaffrey fresh and healthy as well as the offense consistent. The only time McCaffrey should always be in the game is on third downs or in the red zone. Mason and Guerendo can mix in otherwise.

But who knows? The 49ers could have McCaffrey run his usual workload, which makes it interesting to see what they will do whenever he returns. Practice this week should make for an uplifting one for the 49ers now that they have one of their best players and leaders back.