When will 49ers’ Christian McCaffrey return from specialist treatment of Achilles in Germany?

The 49ers’ running back is a key cog in the offensive machine which is to say his absence is a major blow to the team’s fortunes. How long will he be out and how will the team respond are both questions that remain unanswered much like what will be the result of his trip to Germany?

Christian McCaffrey heads to Germany for treatment

As we now know, San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey has left the country to seek further assistance with his injury. According to 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan on Monday, McCaffrey recently traveled to Germany to visit with a specialist regarding his injured Achilles tendon, the reason that he’s been unavailable for the team’s first three games. To that end, the NFL’s reigning Offensive Player of the Year will likely be spending a few days in Europe before he can return stateside.

Now, as one can probably guess, this is not an ideal situation for a team that has already been plagued by injuries to important players. Do recall that the Niners saw both wide receiver Deebo Samuel and tight end George Kittle sit out Week 3, while quarterback Brock Purdy remains a day-to-day call as he struggles with back soreness. It gets worse too, as Shanahan also indicated that tackle Javon Hargrave looks set to miss the rest of the 2024 season with a triceps injury.

Again, this is not a good situation, and even more so when considering McCaffrey’s contribution of late. Last season, the 28-year-old lit up the league, rushing for 1,459 yards and 14 touchdowns on 272 carries (5.4 yards per carry). On top of that, he also caught 67 passes for 564 yards and seven more scores. With that total of 2,023 total yards and 21 touchdowns, he got his third first-team All-Pro nod. Truthfully, this is one of the best players in the league that we’re talking about such that the team is going to have difficulty, to say the least, while he’s sidelined.

If there is a positive it’s that McCaffrey isn’t going anywhere for a while, having secured a two-year contract extension this past offseason that will see him earn an additional $38 million. Of course, getting paid is one thing, but playing is another. Where the Niners themselves are concerned, the team now sits on a 1-2 record following a 27-24 loss to the Los Angeles Rams in Week 3. For a team that went all the way to the Super Bowl last season, that’s simply not good enough i.e., regardless of injuries, something has to change and quickly.