San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey will miss several weeks of practice and is unlikely to participate in the preseason due to a calf strain, head coach Kyle Shanahan announced on Tuesday.
Shanahan noted that the injury is not considered long-term.
Backup running back Elijah Mitchell is also dealing with an injury, a hamstring strain, and will be sidelined for about a week, according to Shanahan. To bolster their roster, the 49ers signed veteran running back Matt Breida on Monday.
McCaffrey, 28, had a standout year, amassing a league-leading 2,023 total yards and scoring 21 touchdowns. He was named Offensive Player of the Year and has excelled since joining the 49ers before the 2022 trade deadline.
Since being drafted eighth overall by the Carolina Panthers in 2017, the Stanford alum has accumulated 6,185 rushing yards and 52 touchdowns in 91 career games.
