Niners RB Christian McCaffrey (calf) likely to play vs. Seahawks

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Amid the chaos and concern generated by his injury designation on Friday, Christian McCaffrey indicated the alarm was being blown out of proportion.

Those alarms will be quieted a bit for now as signs point to McCaffrey playing in the San Francisco 49ers’ regular-season opener against the host Seattle Seahawks, NFL Network Insiders Ian Rapoport, Tom Pelissero and Mike Garafolo reported on Saturday.

McCaffrey injured his calf on Thursday, popping up on the injury report as a limited participant, and didn’t practice on Friday while garnering a questionable designation ahead of the game.

Speaking to reporters on Friday, CMC downplayed the injury and said he felt great.

Just how good or great he looks against the Seahawks is a story still to be told. In his career, McCaffrey has played against Seattle six times and enjoyed a wealth of success, averaging 109.7 yards rushing and a touchdown per game (658 rushing yards and six TDs total).

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McCaffrey missed 13 games last season — including the first eight as the 49ers limped to a 6-11 campaign — dealing with calf and knee injuries. Thus, even though McCaffrey is expected to be active, concern for his health is unlikely to dissipate anytime soon.

The workload 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan bestows upon McCaffrey will be worth monitoring. Likewise, just how much the Niners use running back Brian Robinson, who was acquired via trade just a few weeks ago, could also be a key to the San Francisco offense on Sunday.

In his first full season with the 49ers in 2023, McCaffrey won the NFL rushing title with 1,459 yards and was voted AP NFL Offensive Player of the Year. However, he was held to a career-low 202 rushing yards during four games in 2024.

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McCaffrey and the 49ers kick off their season in an NFC West showdown against the Seahawks at 4:05 p.m. ET Sunday.

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