49ers star RB Christian McCaffrey set to make season debut Sunday vs. Buccaneers

San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey is expected to return for the team's Week 10 game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday, head coach Kyle Shanahan said during a weekly radio appearance Thursday.

McCaffrey has not played yet this season due to Achilles tendonitis. In September, he went to Germany to meet with doctors about the injury, which has been an issue for him since training camp.

McCaffrey, 28, was the 2023 NFL Offensive Player of the Year. Last season, he led the NFL with 2,023 yards from scrimmage and 21 combined rushing and receiving touchdowns. He also led the league with 1,459 rushing yards, averaging a career best 5.4 yards per carry.

Jordan Mason has been the 49ers' top replacement for McCaffrey in the backfield, and he has filled in capably so far this season. Mason is averaging 85.6 yards per game rushing, only a few yards fewer than the 91.2 McCaffrey averaged last season.

However, without McCaffrey, San Francisco is struggling in the red zone, scoring a touchdown on only 48.6% of its trips inside opponents' 20-yard line. Last season, including the playoffs, the 49ers scored a touchdown on 68% of their red zone trips, best in the NFL.

Otherwise, their offense has been effective moving the ball, ranking second in total yards per game for the second straight year.

San Francisco enters Week 10 with a 4-4 record, and in third place in the NFC West. The 49ers have the same record as the Los Angeles Rams, but are in third because of a head-to-head tiebreaker.

San Francisco is also currently two games behind the Green Bay Packers for the final wild card spot in the NFC.