NFL
Why isn't Christian McCaffrey playing for the 49ers against the Cowboys in Week 8?
As he continues to recover from injury, the San Francisco running back will stay on the sidelines against Dallas.
Christian McCaffrey remains out as his San Francisco 49ers face the Dallas Cowboys in Week 8. The star running continues his recovery from an Achilles injury that has kept him out of every game this season.
The 49ers host the Cowboys today, with Kyle Shanahan’s men looking to bounce back from the 28-18 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 7.
When could McCaffrey return for the 49ers?
Having been hit by Achilles tendinitis, McCaffrey was placed on the IR in mid-September, ahead of the 49ers' Week 2 loss to the Minnesota Vikings. Under NFL rules, players can come off the IR after four games, so San Francisco have been allowed to reactivate the 28-year-old since their Week 5 defeat to the Arizona Cardinals on October 6. However, he remained on the IR in Week 6.
The day after beating the Seahawks on October 10, San Francisco head coach Shanahan then confirmed that the franchise would not attempt to get McCaffrey ready for a return against the Chiefs. “He is continuing to improve, but we’re not opening it up this week,” the coach told reporters.
Earlier this month, ESPN’s NFL insider Adam Schefter reported that the 49ers may well wait to bring McCaffrey back into the team until after they return from their bye week in Week 9. In Week 10, San Francisco face the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on November 10.
Speaking to Bay Area radio station KNBR recently, 49ers general manager John Lynch said he couldn’t yet offer any public indication as to when McCaffrey will return.
“[There are] no new updates other than he’s doing incredibly well,” Lynch said, per 49erswebzone. “It’s all about the ramp-up, increasing the activity, making sure that there’s no setbacks. I could just tell people he’s on a good track with that. No timelines or anything, but he’s doing a little bit more - not each day. We kind of stagger it, work hard one day, kind of go into more of a [regeneration] day the next day.
“But when you can start to stack those and not have setbacks, that’s a good thing, and that’s kind of the direction he’s trending in.”
Cowboys vs 49ers: start time, how to watch
The 49ers face Dallas at Levi’s Stadium today, Sunday October 27, 2024, with kick-off in Santa Clara scheduled for 8:20 p.m. ET / 5:20 p.m. PT. Viewers in the US can watch the game on FOX and FOX Deportes. If you don’t have cable, you can stream FOX’s coverage on fubo, which offers new users a free introductory trial. Find out all you need to know with our handy guide.