San Francisco 49ers set to be without another offensive star at training camp after Christian McCaffrey update

The likelihood of the San Francisco 49ers parting with Brandon Aiyuk is seemingly increasing, and another of their star players is set to head into the 2024 season with less than ideal preparation.

In a Tuesday press conference that was dominated by questions about the 49ers granting permission to All-Pro wide receiver Aiyuk to speak with potential trade partners about potential contract terms, head coach Kyle Shanahan confirmed reigning Offensive Player of the Year Christian McCaffrey will miss the entirety of the the preseason with a calf strain.

McCaffrey will be out of practice for a couple of weeks, with his injury and a hamstring strain to Elijah Mitchell leading the 49ers to make the move to bring back running Matt Breida, who played three seasons with San Francisco after signing as an undrafted free agent in 2017.

The 49ers were already without rookie fourth-round pick Isaac Guerendo because of a hamstring injury , making the acquisition of extra depth in the backfield a must as they navigate the rest of training camp.

Breida joins Patrick Taylor Jr. and undrafted rookie Cody Schrader as the only healthy backs on the San Francisco roster.

McCaffrey's injury is far from a disaster, the 49ers would likely have given him very little run in preseason knowing he will again be the workhorse of their attack in the regular season.

But a lack of practice time and opportunity to knock the rust off is far from ideal for McCaffrey, who has displayed remarkable durability since joining the 49ers in a 2022 trade from the Carolina Panthers.

For Mitchell, his injury could put his place on the roster in jeopardy. The 2021 sixth-round pick has struggled to stay healthy throughout his career and, with both Schrader and Jordan Mason catching the eye during training camp, the 49ers don't need any more excuses to part with a player who has no guaranteed money left on his deal.

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