Why the 49ers are Letting Christian McCaffrey Practice

Christian McCaffrey will be a limited participant for the 49ers at practice today instead of holding him out to let him rest. Here is why.

Jan 28, 2024; Santa Clara, California, USA; San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey (23) runs with the ball against Detroit Lions safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson (2) during the first half of the NFC Championship football game at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-Imagn Images / Kyle Terada-Imagn Images

Well, this is a little surprising. Christian McCaffrey is going to practice with the San Francisco 49ers on Wednesday. He will do so in a limited capacity, but it's still surprising to hear that he's out there.

Resting McCaffrey would seem the wisest move as he deals with Achilles tendinitis. It's hard to imagine that practicing on it would be beneficial. But it seems he and the 49ers are willing to give it a go to give him a shot at playing in Week 2 against the Minnesota Vikings.

However, there could be another reason the 49ers are letting McCaffrey practice. It could be that the 49ers are trying to throw the Vikings off. They did it last week with the New York Jets. Allowing McCaffrey to practice this week lets them see where he is at and forces the Vikings to game plan for him.

“My mentality is I’m playing this week” — 49ers Christian McCaffrey on Sunday game at Vikings. Calf/Achilles kept him out of opener pic.twitter.com/Hagdpzm5cg

— Cam Inman (@CamInman) September 11, 2024

It's a smart strategy by the 49ers to implement. Being able to force the Vikings to prepare for McCaffrey, even if it is little, is beneficial. Practice isn't a long session during the regular season as it is in training camp. Even 10 minutes can go a long way in botching the Vikings' preparation.

Although, I don't believe McCaffrey will play against the Vikings. I think the 49ers are leaning toward making him inactive. So long as he goes out there, warms up, and takes a couple of practice snaps, then the 49ers are conducting proper gamesmanship.

Playing McCaffrey this week isn't the right move. An Achilles injury, no matter the severity is no light matter. Besides, the 49ers have Jordan Mason who can keep the offense efficient. Allowing McCaffrey another week to rest his Achilles is the most beneficial move for the 49ers.

Injured Reserve could also be a wise move. However, Kyle Shanahan stated on Wednesday that it isn't something the 49ers have considered. It's unlikely that his mind changes on that, but maybe it is something they should seriously look into. Whatever is best for his health so that he can be the best version of himself by the time the playoff push ramps up.