There was plenty of uncertainty surrounding Christian McCaffrey's availability heading into Week 1 against the Seattle Seahawks. The San Francisco 49ers listed the star running back as "questionable," and head coach Kyle Shanahan didn't sound particularly optimistic about his chances of playing.
McCaffrey, however, made it clear he intended to suit up, downplaying the calf injury that had raised concern. True to his word, he played in the 49ers' regular-season opener, logging 58 offensive snaps. McCaffrey helped carry the offense with 31 touches for 142 scrimmage yards in a hard-fought 17-13 victory over the division rival.
After the heavy workload, the 49ers gave McCaffrey a rest day on Wednesday, holding him out of practice. Speaking to reporters beforehand, the veteran addressed the injury chatter leading into Week 1.
"It was nothing serious," McCaffrey stated. "It never was. I knew I was gonna play. I just wanted to be smart with it."
It remains unclear how much the calf issue will linger as the 49ers prepare for their Week 2 matchup against the New Orleans Saints. Both fans and analysts will be watching closely as kickoff approaches.
While McCaffrey managed to push through his injury, quarterback Brock Purdy is trending in the opposite direction. Purdy sustained left shoulder and toe injuries in the opener and appears unlikely to play on Sunday, which could pave the way for Mac Jones to start under center in New Orleans.
When asked how the 49ers can keep winning if Purdy is sidelined, McCaffrey emphasized execution over everything else.
"I think everybody's just gotta do their job, and that's whether Brock's playing or not," McCaffrey explained. "It just comes down to everybody executing at a high level and keeping it that simple. Not trying to do anything extremely special, but just have to have really good execution at all times. But that's pretty much consistent every week."
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