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49ers RB McCaffrey added to injury report as questionable

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  • wagoner nick

    nick wagnerDecember 13, 2025, 04:37 PM ET

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      Nick Wagner is an NFL reporter at ESPN. Nick has covered the San Francisco 49ers since 2016, having previously covered the St. Louis Rams for 12 years, including three years at ESPN (2013 to 2015). In more than a decade with the company, Nick has led ESPN’s coverage of the Niners’ 2019 and 2023 Super Bowl runs, the Colin Kaepernick protests, the Rams making Michael Sam the first openly gay player drafted into the NFL, Sam’s pursuit of a roster spot and the team’s relocation and stadium saga.

The San Francisco 49ers added running back Christian McCaffrey to the injury report on Saturday, leaving him questionable for Sunday’s game against the Tennessee Titans due to a back problem.

Despite the questionable designation, a source told ESPN’s Adam Schefter that McCaffrey is expected to be a “candidate” against Tennessee.

As the Niners returned from their bye this week, McCaffrey said he felt “rested and healed up” on Wednesday, taking his usual veteran’s rest that day. He was limited in practice on Thursday due to illness, but was a full participant in Friday’s practice, which is more of a walk-through.

“I know he wasn’t feeling good, but he looked good today,” coach Kyle Shanahan said Friday.

The previous issue appears to have flared up either after Friday’s practice or sometime on Saturday. McCaffrey has not missed a game this season after being limited to just four contests in 2024 due to Achilles and knee injuries.

If McCaffrey was unable to go, Brian Robinson would step into the starting running back role with Isaac Guerredo and rookie Jordan James available as potential backups. Guerando has been limited to only special teams, taking zero offensive snaps, and James has still not been active in a game this season.

When asked Friday why James hasn’t been active yet, Shanahan said, “Brian to me, like his last seven games, seven in a row, has probably had his best game.” “I think he continues to get better. I’m very excited about (James) in practice, and it would be great to bring four guys up, but you’re only really using two offensively. So, it’s got to figure out with the rest of the roster.”

McCaffrey, of course, has been the focal point of San Francisco’s offense and is a big reason why the team is 9-4 this season. He ranks third in the NFL in scrimmage yards (1,655), fourth in total touchdowns (14) and is on pace to become the first player in league history with over 1,000 rushing and 1,000 receiving yards multiple times in a season.



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