NFL
Why isn’t Christian McCaffrey playing for the 49ers against the Seahawks in Thursday Night Football?
As he continues his recovery from Achilles tendinitis, San Francisco 49ers star Christian McCaffrey will remain sidelined against the Seattle Seahawks.
Although Christian McCaffrey is now eligible to come off the San Francisco 49ers' injured reserve list (IR), the star running-back will remain on the sidelines in Week 6, as he continues his recovery from an Achilles injury that has kept him out of every game this season.
The 49ers visit the Seattle Seahawks in Thursday Night Football today, with Kyle Shanahan’s men looking to bounce back from a Week 5 defeat to the Arizona Cardinals that left the Californians with a 2-3 record in 2024.
When could McCaffrey return for San Francisco 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 McCaffrey is now allowed to return to action for San Francisco. On Sunday, however, ESPN’s NFL insider Adam Schefter revealed that the Colorado native won’t be activated for the Seahawks clash, and head coach Shanahan confirmed to reporters on Monday that the reigning Offensive Player of the Year will carry on with his rehabilitation for now.
“His plan is to continue his rehab, and every day you try to push the rehab more and more each day,” Shanahan said, per USA Today’s Tyler Dragon.
Per Schefter, there is “a chance” that McCaffrey will be available for either the 49ers’ Week 7 match-up with the Kansas City Chiefs on October 20, or the Week 8 clash with the Dallas Cowboys seven days later.
Schefter adds, though, that the 49ers may well choose to delay his comeback until after they return from their bye week in Week 9. In Week 10, San Francisco face the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on November 10.
49ers vs Seahawks: start time, how to watch
The 49ers face the Seahawks at Lumen Field today, Thursday October 10, 2024, with kick-off in Seattle scheduled for 8:15 p.m. ET/5:15 p.m. PT. Viewers in the US can watch the game on Amazon Prime Video.
Enjoy the 49ers vs the Seahawks on Prime Video.
Like the 49ers, the Seahawks head into Week 6 on the back of a defeat, after being beaten 29-20 at home to the New York Giants last weekend. Mike Mcdonald’s team had begun the regular season with three wins on the spin, but are now 3-2 after successive losses.