Insider Reveals 49ers RB Christian McCaffrey’s Potential Return Date From ‘Mystery’ Injury

Ahead of the 49ers opener against the Jets, there was some thought—at least publicly—that running back Christian McCaffrey would be ready to make his season debut along with the rest of the team. The 49ers claimed at the time that it was a gametime decision, and that McCaffrey did not pull out of the first game until shortly before kickoff.

Some questioned the veracity of that timeline—backup Jordan Mason said he was told on Friday of that week that he would start—and those questions seem legitimate, given the fact that McCaffrey has still not played and is not likely to play any time soon.

He is dealing with an unspecified Achilles tendon issue—they’re calling it tendonitis—and went to Germany at the end of September to consult with a specialist.

ESPN insider Jeremy Fowler punched in ahead of the weekend’s big 49ers-Chiefs Super Bowl rematch for an update on McCaffrey, and when we're likely to see him back on the field.

“There’s still some mystery around when he’s exactly going to come back,” Fowler said on ESPN’s, “ SportsCenter .” “But I talked to some people in the organization who said, ‘Look, we have the bye week coming up.’ Not this week, not next week but then after that, the Week 9, Week 10 range could be the spot for McCaffrey to ramp up and be ready for the second half of the season.

“That still is the plan, for him to impact November-December in some fashion.”

McCaffrey led the NFL last year with 1,453 yards rushing and 2,023 yards from scrimmage, also leading the league 21 total touchdowns.

Related: 49ers Rookie Who Was Shot in Attempted Robbery Set to Make NFL Debut