McCaffrey Returns to 49ers Practice, Says Absence Was Planned

San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey returned to practice on Sunday, August 23, ending a two-week absence that had sparked speculation about his status. McCaffrey and the team both emphasized that the time away was a carefully managed plan designed to keep the star running back healthy and fresh for the 2026 regular season. McCaffrey, who had been held out of practice for approximately 15 days due to what the team labeled as tightness, told reporters after Sunday's session that the break was intentional from the start of training camp.