Christian McCaffrey returns to practice, aiming to play Sunday vs. Bucs

The San Francisco 49ers have opened the practice window on star running back Christian McCaffrey , who has been on injured reserve with a bout of achilles tendonitis that has prevented him from playing in a game so far this season.

After practicing Monday, McCaffrey may be only days away from making his season debut, as he reportedly aims to play in the Niners' next game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday ( 1 p.m. ET on FOX and the FOX Sports app ).

The 28-year-old McCaffrey, a three-time Pro Bowler and two-time first-team All-Pro, is widely regarded as one of the best running backs of his generation. In his first full season with San Francisco after being dealt there at the 2022 midseason trade deadline, McCaffrey ran for a league-leading 1,459 yards and won 2023 NFL Offensive Player of the Year en route to helping the Niners to both an NFC championship and a Super Bowl berth.

ADVERTISEMENT The Niners (4-4) are coming off their bye week and have been hampered by several injuries this season, including to wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk , who will miss the rest of the year with a torn ACL. But no injury has loomed larger than McCaffrey's. Though the 49ers are averaging 159 rushing yards per game, fourth-best in the NFL , head coach Kyle Shanahan's attack has been hampered especially in the red zone due to McCaffrey's absence. The 49ers rank 28th in red zone touchdown rate this season after leading the league in the category last year.

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