The San Francisco 49ers will face the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday. The team has just one more full practice scheduled before the Week 7 matchup, but that doesn't mean fans won't get a glimpse of new 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey over the weekend.
San Francisco traded for the running back, sending second-, third-, and fourth-round picks in 2023, plus a fifth-rounder in 2024, to the Carolina Panthers to acquire him.
McCaffrey will travel to the Bay Area on Friday to join his new teammates, the players he went up against during the Panthers' Week 5 loss to the 49ers. Don't expect the lack of practice reps in his new home to keep the running back off the field.
NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reports that McCaffrey will likely play against the Chiefs, perhaps in limited packages. After that, the real work begins. The 49ers will start ramping up the running back's workload.
New #49ers RB Christian McCaffrey, who has already spoken to coach Kyle Shanahan and team brass, travels tomorrow to his new home. If he plays Sunday, which he likely will do, expect a red zone package. Then he'll ramp up from there.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) October 21, 2022
It won't be easy. McCaffrey has a new playbook to learn and a short time to get acclimated to his new offense. If the team decides to hold him out against the Chiefs, expect him to contribute against the Los Angeles Rams on October 30. McCaffrey played the Rams this past weekend at SoFi Stadium, where the 49ers' Week 8 matchup takes place.
After that, McCaffrey will have the bye week to continue learning head coach Kyle Shanahan's playbook.