San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan offered a promising update on injured running back Christian McCaffrey during an interview with KNBR on Tuesday, suggesting he remains on track to return to training after this week’s break.

“We hope it happens that way,” he said (h/t Kyle Bonilla from the 49ers web zone). “That tends to be the case, and it’s been going on since we stopped him and went through these very slow stages. It’s getting there. He hasn’t had any setbacks and I hope he gets through a very good week and that we can get in training next week, which would obviously be huge for us.”

McCaffrey, 28, missed the entire 2024 season and has been on injured reserve since Sept. 14 due to bilateral Achilles tendonitis. This kept one of the most dynamic playmakers in the NFL off the field.

In his absence – and because Elijah Mitchell is out for the season with a hamstring issue – the Niners have been forced to rely on players like Jordan Mason and Isaac Guerendo in the backfield, while that Deebo Samuel also contributed as a dual-threat option. .

The team’s vaunted rushing attack hasn’t caught on much. Mason had 685 rushing yards and three touchdowns, Guerendo added 227 yards and a score and the team’s 159 rushing yards per game ranked fourth in the NFL behind the Baltimore Ravens (200 YPG), the Philadelphia Eagles (165.9 YPG) and Washington Commanders. (165.8 YPG).

But McCaffrey is a receiver almost as dynamic as a runner, and San Francisco has had to deal with injuries to Brandon Aiyuk (out for the year with a torn ACL), Samuel and Jauan Jennings throughout the season. Rookie Ricky Pearsall also missed the first six games of the season while recovering from gunshot wounds.

In other words, the Niners have been plagued by injuries and a team with Super Bowl aspirations started the season 4-4. However, with a Week 9 bye coming up, the team will have a chance to get a little healthier.

And McCaffrey appears on track to potentially return for a Week 10 game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. His return will be very welcome for quarterback Brock Purdy, who has seen his support staff decimated by injuries this season.