49ers' McCaffrey Limited in Practice, Cleared for Seattle Opener

SAN FRANCISCO — San Francisco 49ers star running back Christian McCaffrey was listed as a limited participant in Thursday practice with a calf issue ahead of Sunday’s season opener in Seattle, missed Friday’s full practice and was officially listed as questionable, but said he planned to play and by game time was cleared to suit up for the opener. Head coach Kyle Shanahan said the injury occurred during Thursday’s session but declined to offer specifics, and McCaffrey told reporters he felt “great about where I’m at” after taking himself out of practice as a precaution.

McCaffrey’s late-week flareup began as a surprise because he had practiced fully on Wednesday and appeared healthy throughout training camp. Team trainers placed him on the Thursday injury report as limited, and Shanahan confirmed Friday that McCaffrey did not participate in practice. McCaffrey, who missed most of last season with Achilles-related calf problems and a later knee injury, said he took himself out to avoid aggravating a previous issue. “I felt like it was the smart thing to do to not finish the practice,” he told reporters.

The sequence of events produced conflicting accounts for much of the weekend....