You won't see the NFL Madden 25 cover athlete on the field during the preseason, but Christian McCaffrey is eager to return. The star running back is working through a calf injury, which kept him out of the San Francisco 49ers' preseason opener against the Tennessee Titans and will sideline him for the remaining two exhibition games.
While the injury isn't considered serious, McCaffrey fully expects to be ready for Week 1, when his 49ers host the New York Jets.
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"Yeah, I feel great," McCaffrey recently said in an interview with SiriusXM NFL Radio. "Very cautionary stuff. If we had a game, I would play, but just trying to be smart right now. But still training, still getting a bunch of work in, so that come Week 1, we're ready to roll."
While the 49ers take a cautionary approach, McCaffrey, who played in 81 percent of the offensive snaps last season, is eager to return to the field.
"He always is super determined," fullback Kyle Juszczyk told reporters on Thursday. "He's always striving for more. It really is never enough for him. You can see it's killing him not to be out there. He's always [champing] at the bit, and he makes sure to remind me every day that he's getting a little bit closer."
McCaffrey is coming off an impressive 2023 campaign in which he amassed 2,023 scrimmage yards and 21 total touchdowns, earning him NFL Offensive Player of the Year honors. Achievements like that aren't possible if you're sidelined, so McCaffrey is doing everything he can to ensure he's ready for the regular season.
No one doubts that McCaffrey will return to his typical high-performing self once he's back on the field.
"He's going to have cleats on that grass here in no time, and he's going to be Christian McCaffrey," Juszczyk added. "He's going to go do his thing and be one of the best players in the world."