What happened to Christian McCaffrey? 49ers dealt injury blow in training camp

As NFL training camp is in full effect, San Francisco 49ers' running back Christian McCaffrey recently suffered an injury. Head coach Kyle Shanahan confirmed that McCaffrey suffered a lower leg injury and will miss time.

Speaking to the local media on Tuesday, Shanahan said that McCaffrey has a calf strain, and he will be out some time. Local reporter Matt Maiocco detailed the injury on his X (formerly known as Twitter) account:

"Christian McCaffrey has a calf strain. It is not a long-term situation, coach Kyle Shanahan said. McCaffrey will likely not play in the preseason. He'll be out of practice a couple of weeks."

Christian McCaffrey injury update

Christian McCaffrey during Super Bowl LVIII - San Francisco 49ers v Kansas City Chiefs - Source: Getty

As per Matt Maiocco's tweet, Christian McCaffrey is expected to miss several weeks after straining his right calf muscle.

Following the injury, Shanahan said that McCaffrey likely won't play in the pre-season and he will be out several weeks. The expectation is that McCaffrey should be ready to suit up for the 49ers' season opener.

McCaffrey will have over a month to recover from his injury as the 49ers' first game is on Sept. 9 against the New York Jets.

The San Francisco 49ers signed Matt Breida in lieu of their running back injuries

Matt Breida during Carolina Panthers v San Francisco 49ers - Source: Getty

Christian McCaffrey isn't the only banged up San Francisco 49ers running back. 49ers fourth-round pick Isaac Guerendo has been dealing with a lingering hamstring injury since the start of training camp.

Elijah Mitchell is also has a hamstring injury. Mitchell and Guerendo worked on the sidelines during Tuesday's practice as McCaffrey sat out.

In the midst of their running back injuries, the 49ers brought back a familiar face this week. The 49ers announced that they signed veteran running back Matt Breida yesterday, who played for the team from 2017-2019.

Breida began his career with San Fransisco, as he was signed as an undrafted free agent in 2017. Breida had his most productive season in his career in 2018 with the 49ers, rushing for 814 yards and scoring three touchdowns.

Breida bounced from Miami to Buffalo in 2021 and 2022, and spent the last two seasons as a member of the New York Giants.

While the 49ers' runnning backs are dealing with injuries, Breida has an opportunity to make it on the 49ers' roster in his second stint with the team.