NFL Trade Rumors: San Francisco 49ers Running Back Christian McCaffrey Returns to Practice

The San Francisco 49ers are getting their house in order just in time for the regular season. According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, All-Pro running back Christian McCaffrey will return to practice today after missing extensive time this offseason with a calf injury.

More good 49ers news: Pro-Bowl RB Christian McCaffrey, who missed most of training camp with a strained calf, is expected to return to practice today, per source. pic.twitter.com/pmAI3rjRa5
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) September 3, 2024

The good news on McCaffrey follows the 49ers successfully coming to terms with left tackle Trent Williams and wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk on new contracts. Both players were holdouts throughout most of training camp.

Now with McCaffrey back in the fold, the 49ers can once again claim to field one of the best rosters in the league. McCaffrey is arguably their crown jewel: He led the NFL in rushing yards (1459), yards from scrimmage (2023), and total touchdowns (21) in 2023, earning the Associated Press Offensive Player of the Year award in the process.

Still, McCaffrey's extensive missed time this offseason should be a harsh reminder that health can't be taken for granted at the running back position. Though McCaffrey has been as reliable as possible over his 27 appearances with the 49ers, he is 28 years old and missed 23 games from 2021 to 2022. Fans need only look to other one-time superstars like Ezekiel Elliot (29 years old) and Dalvin Cook (29 years old) to see how quickly a great back can fall from grace.

Clearly, the 49ers still believe McCaffrey can be one of the league's best players; They forked over a two-year, $38 million extension earlier this offseason, making him comfortably the highest-paid running back in the league. At least as far as the 49ers are concerned, McCaffrey should remain elite for the foreseeable future.

In any case, McCaffrey's return to practice means he'll likely be good to go for the 49ers' regular-season opener, a Monday Night Football showdown with the New York Jets. The Jets are re-debuting four-time MVP quarterback Aaron Rodgers after he missed all but four snaps of the 2023 season with a torn Achilles. If the 49ers want to reestablish themselves as the dominant team in the NFC, McCaffrey's presence should go a long way.