Christian McCaffrey won’t play this preseason for the San Francisco 49ers as he recovers from a calf strain.
McCaffrey strained the calf on Sunday and had to sit out team drills. When the Niners practiced Tuesday, McCaffrey did not participate, leading coach Kyle Shanahan to confirm the injury.
The reigning NFL Offensive Player of the Year is expected to miss at least one week of practice, and the 49ers don’t plan to risk him hurting it during one of their three preseason contests.
“He did it a couple days ago,” Shanahan said. “It’s all right. He didn’t pull it or anything, but you guys probably won’t see him this preseason.”
McCaffrey, 28, led the NFL last season with a career-high 1,459 rushing yards on 272 attempts and racked up 21 total touchdowns (14 rushing, seven receiving). It was his first full season in San Francisco after a midseason trade from the Carolina Panthers in 2022.
McCaffrey has rushed for 6,185 yards and 52 touchdowns, adding 509 receptions for 4,320 yards and 29 scores, in 91 games (84 starts) with the Panthers (2017-22) and 49ers (2022-23).
A three-time Pro Bowler and two-time first-team All-Pro selection, McCaffrey was rewarded with a two-year, $38 million extension this summer.
McCaffrey also was chosen to be the cover athlete for this year’s edition of the “Madden NFL” video game series.