Star works out in front of 49ers Chiefs – NBC Sports Bay Area and California

SANTA CLARA – Running back Christian McCaffrey arrived at Levi's Stadium well before his 49ers teammates on Sunday.

McCaffrey appears to be eyeing a return to action after the bye week. He missed most of training camp and the start of the regular season before being placed on injured reserve with bilateral Achilles tendonitis.

The 49ers play the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday and McCaffrey was at the 49ers' home stadium at least five hours before kickoff. He was seen visiting the team's practice field and weight room, likely as part of his physical therapy routine.

Christian McCaffrey arrived at Levi's Stadium well ahead of him #49ers Teammates for an early morning workout. He is continuing physical therapy for bilateral Achilles tendonitis with the goal of returning to activity after the bye week.

— Matt Maiocco (@MaioccoNBCS) October 20, 2024

On Friday, 49ers general manager John Lynch said in his KNBR radio segment that McCaffrey is making “incredibly good progress.”

“It's about ramping up activity and making sure there are no setbacks,” Lynch said. “I could just tell people he’s on the right track with this. No timelines or anything, but he does a little more.” ”

The 49ers receive their bye in Week 9, after their next two games – against Kansas City and the Dallas Cowboys. If the 49ers return from this break, McCaffrey could be considered to return from injured reserve.

Lynch explained that McCaffrey's physical therapy is staggered so that he may undergo more intense training followed by days of recovery to avoid the possibility of overexertion.

“If you can start taking advantage of those (good days) and not have any setbacks, that's a good thing, and that's kind of the direction he's trending,” Lynch said.

McCaffrey, known for his intense training habits, was named NFL Offensive Player of the Year last season. He passed for 1,459 yards and 14 touchdowns and caught 67 passes for 564 yards and seven touchdowns.

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