Shanahan denies McCaffrey’s practice absence is contract-related

San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan has directly addressed and dismissed speculation that star running back Christian McCaffrey is missing practice as part of a contract hold-in. Shanahan made his comments on Tuesday, August 18, following a joint practice with the Los Angeles Chargers in El Segundo.

McCaffrey has been sidelined for much of training camp with what the team has described as "tightness." Shanahan firmly rejected the narrative that the absence is contract-related, stating that people making that assumption would be wrong. He emphasized that if it were a regular game week, McCaffrey would have practiced, indicating the team views the issue as minor and is taking a precautionary approach with the regular season still weeks away.

The speculation arose as McCaffrey's absence coincided with a series of lucrative contracts signed by other top running backs. In early August, Atlanta Falcons running back Bijan Robinson agreed to a three-year, $66.75 million extension, and Detroit Lions running back Jahmyr Gibbs signed a three-year, $67.5 million deal, briefly making him the highest-paid at the position. McCaffrey, who turned 30 in June, is entering the final season...