Christian McCaffrey exited early from the San Francisco 49ers' loss to the Cleveland Browns in Week 6. He was ruled out with an oblique injury, which led to concerns about his availability for this Sunday's matchup with the Minnesota Vikings on Monday Night Football.
McCaffrey was a limited participant in Niners practice on Saturday. He is officially labeled as 'questionable,' but all signs point toward CMC suiting up in Week 7, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter.
It's clear the 27-year-old, who has dealt with more than his fair share of injuries, is determined to play.
"That's a huge deal [to be available]," McCaffrey told reporters. "That's what you sign up to do. So if you can go, you got to go."
Odds are the Niners will avoid an official announcement until Monday afternoon. Anything to gain an edge on the opponent. That's a stressful strategy for fantasy managers, but it's clear what the plan is. McCaffrey, barring a setback, should be good to go. The Niners will want to right to ship swiftly after last week's letdown.
49ers injury update: Christian McCaffrey feels "great" and wants to play Week 7
Injury timeline: McCaffrey was sidelined for the fourth quarter of the 49ers' Week 6 loss to the Browns due to an oblique injury. The MRI revealed a minor strain, which led to McCaffrey being categorized as "day-to-day." He did not practice until Saturday when he participated in a limited capacity. Afterward, he told reporters he feels "great."
Expected return: All signs point toward McCaffrey getting the green light for Monday's game against the Vikings. He currently has a touchdown in 15 consecutive games, tied for second all-time. The record is 17. McCaffrey will no doubt be on the prowl for pay dirt if he can suit up. Of course, the Niners could (and should) operate cautiously. McCaffrey may not handle his normal workhorse duties.
Potential replacements: If McCaffrey is ruled out, the Niners' backfield will revert to a committee of Jordan Mason and Elijah Mitchell. Following McCaffrey's exit, Mason received 69.1 percent of snaps at RB, so he should be viewed as the nominal lead back in the event of a CMC absence.
Coach's quote: Kyle Shanahan on Oct. 20, the one-year anniversary of the Niners' trade for McCaffrey..."I mean, just how good he has been from what you guys have seen, how dependable he has been, how reliable he has been, how he learns everything, not just the running backs and stuff. So, it's real easy to put a lot on his plate, move him around each week. I think just the example he sets for everybody and the guy is, I mean, he reminds me of just a basic mentality, like a walk-on guy, who's just trying to get people's attention for working so hard. He is one of the most talented guys in the league and was in college coming out and every single play it's like the biggest thing in the world, whether he is getting the ball or not. It's a really great example of how to be as a football player."
