49ers teammate: “Christian McCaffrey will play football this year”

Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports

There has been a lot of speculation surrounding running back Christian McCaffrey. The conflicting reports have ranged from claims that he will not play this season to more reliable updates suggesting his return to the field could be imminent.

McCaffrey will not play for Thursday night's game against the Seattle Seahawks as he continues to rehab his calf and bilateral Achilles tendonitis. ESPN insider Adam Schefter recently reported that there is cautious optimism within the 49ers organization, suggesting the star playmaker could return in the coming weeks – possibly as early as Week 7's Super Bowl rematch against the Kansas City Chiefs.

Of course, all of this remains dependent on McCaffrey's continued progress.

“Although McCaffrey is dealing with bilateral Achilles tendonitis, his problem is concentrated in one of his legs — and the other is doing better, according to sources,” Schefter wrote. “Bilateral Achilles tendonitis is not considered a concern, according to sources, who told ESPN that McCaffrey is focused on avoiding setbacks while continuing to gain momentum in a return to play.”

Tight end George Kittle joined Bay Area radio station KNBR on Tuesday morning and expressed optimism about McCaffrey's potential contributions this season, despite rumors circulating that suggested the opposite.

“McCaffrey still has two legs. He'll probably play football again,” Kittle joked, referencing some humorous online memes that suggested the running back might be missing limbs amid rampant speculation.

“His lockers are right next to mine, so I see him every day,” Kittle continued. “…Christian McCaffrey will be playing football this year, so I’m excited about that.”

Kittle also discussed the impact of McCaffrey's absence on the offense, noting that it likely contributed to the 49ers' unexpected and disappointing 2-3 start.

“I could be completely wrong, but I was just thinking about this last night: Christian McCaffrey is the reigning NFL offensive MVP,” Kittle said. “…He's literally one of the best offensive players – probably the best offensive player – in the NFL. When you have him for 20-plus games in a row, I think you’re kind of spoiled when you have a player with that ability.”

“You can never throw him the ball and he'll still rush for over 1,000 yards, or you can have him run wide receiver routes and just line up DBs and linebackers. I think you get a little spoiled.”

Kittle acknowledged that the offense may have become dependent on McCaffrey's presence and that his absence created limitations.

“We haven't been able to do the things we've been doing for the last two years,” Kittle added. “…You just take out one of the most important pieces of the puzzle, your offense changes a little bit.”

You can listen to Kittle's entire interview below.