Christian McCaffrey is ‘good to go’ for 49ers return in huge Week 10 boost

CMC is back. 

49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan said Friday that star running back Christian McCaffrey is “good to go” for Sunday’s game against the Buccaneers in Tampa Bay.

“We’ll take him off IR tomorrow, and then he’ll be good to go unless something crazy happens on this plane ride. He should be good to go tomorrow once he gets off IR,” Shanahan said.

McCaffrey has yet to play this season thanks to Achilles tendinitis and calf tightness, which has plagued him since the preseason. 

On Thursday, Shanahan told KNBR’s “Tolbert & Copes” that McCaffrey was tracking to return on Sunday after looking good upon returning to practice on Monday. 

“I do feel good one way or another. He’s had two good days… he’s been awesome these last two days,” Shanahan said during the radio hit. 

“So hopefully, that continues to go well and I expect to get him out there and you never know for a setback or anything but these two days have been great and I expect to see him out there.”

Sitting at 4-4, McCaffrey’s return is a welcome sight for the 49ers, who are coming off a bye week.

San Francisco is currently locked in a tight NFC West race with all four teams just a game apart in the standings and the Cardinals in first-place at 5-4. 

McCaffrey, the reigning AP Offensive Player of the Year, is coming off one of the best seasons of his career, rushing for a league-leading 1,459 yards and 14 touchdowns with 564 yards and seven touchdowns through the air. 

Third-year running back Jordan Mason has filled in for the three-time Pro Bowler in the 49ers backfield, rushing for 685 yards in eight games.