If all goes well this week, the San Francisco 49ers could see Christian McCaffrey back in action as early as Sunday's game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The team opened the running back's practice window on Monday, setting the stage for his 2024 season debut.
McCaffrey, who has yet to play this season due to bilateral Achilles tendinitis, rejoined his teammates for Monday's short bonus practice session, sparking excitement in the locker room.
"Such an amazing feeling to see that 23 out there doing his extensive warmup," tackle Trent Williams told reporters after practice. "A million high knees he does before practice, it was great seeing him."
The 49ers offense has struggled with inconsistency this season and hopes to build momentum in the final stretch and playoff push. McCaffrey's return would provide a significant boost, especially after the recent season-ending knee injury to wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk.
Williams didn't hesitate to respond when asked about McCaffrey's potential impact.
"Offensive Player of the Year," Williams commented, referring to the award McCaffrey earned last season. "Really, you could probably put him in any offense, it's going to make it better. Obviously, our offense is kind of tailor-made to him and some of his strengths, so it's definitely going to be a tremendous lift for us."
Williams acknowledged the challenges posed by injuries this season, with key players like McCaffrey sidelined. However, he pointed out that injuries are affecting teams across the NFL, not just the 49ers.
"It's not one of the things you harp on and just sit and wish how much you had one person," Williams remarked. "We would have never heard about [rookie RB Isaac] Guerendo or seen the excellence of [RB Jordan] Mason if Christian was probably healthy, so it's a silver lining, some of that stuff.
"And now, we know that we have. Even without having [RB] Elijah [Mitchell], we still have a super deep backfield, and [we're] improving."
Dre Greenlaw sighting
Williams also noted that McCaffrey isn't the only one making strides in his recovery. Star linebacker Dre Greenlaw, who suffered a torn Achilles in February during the Super Bowl, is progressing.
"Even had a glimpse of Greenlaw out there sprinting around with a helmet on," Williams shared. "So, both of them, just seeing that, got our juices going."
The 49ers expect Greenlaw to return sometime in the second half of the season. Although the team has not provided specific details on his return due to the fluid nature of his recovery, his appearance at practice on Monday was encouraging and clearly delighted Williams.