49ers get eye-popping good news on Christian McCaffrey — but there’s a catch

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Christian McCaffrey is trending in the right direction and nearing a return to practice.

The San Francisco 49ers star running back would have practiced Tuesday if it weren’t a joint practice with the Los Angeles Chargers, according to head coach Kyle Shanahan. The 49ers are not operating under the impression McCaffrey’s missed practice time has any ties to wanting a new contract.

“I think people make a lot of assumptions. That would be one that they’re wrong on,” Shanahan said. “I think if it wasn’t Christian and we were in a game week, I think he would play today. … Just some tightness. They get sensitive if I say where.”

There was speculation the three-time First-team All-Pro’s extended absence was an indication that he was actually holding in from 49ers training training camp. But Shanahan has seemingly confirmed the five practices McCaffrey has missed have been due to tightness.

McCaffrey is set to earn $12.5 million in non-guaranteed salary for 2026, which currently ranks 10th among running backs, according to Spotrac.

Massive extensions for running backs like Bijan Robinson and Jahmyr Gibbs pushed top-tier annual values past $22 million, dropping the 49ers star’s relative market standing.

And the timing of McCaffrey’s tightness came only days after Robinson and Gibbs reset the running back market, pushing unfound rumors to the forefront of 49ers camp.

On Tuesday, Shanahan put those rumors to rest.

McCaffrey is coming off a 2025 campaign where he boasted a league-leading 413 touches, and he’s expected to remain a fixture of the 49ers offense this year.

The 30-year-old should be healthy for the start of the 2026 season, barring any setbacks, a good sign for an ailing 49ers squad.