The San Francisco 49ers are set to play their second preseason game Thursday night against the Los Angeles Chargers.
As it stands, 49ers star running back Christian McCaffrey likely won’t be in action as he continues to deal with what the team describes as tightness.
McCaffrey has missed roughly a week of practice, which has sparked speculation about whether he’s actually dealing with an injury or potentially “holding in” as he seeks a new contract. He’s due to make $12.5 million, significantly less than some of the NFL’s other top running backs.
However, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport put that speculation to rest with an update Monday night.
McCaffrey Injury Update Emerges
Rapoport revealed that McCaffrey isn’t conducting a “hold in” and is actually dealing with tightness. The team doesn’t consider the issue serious and appears to be taking a precautionary approach given McCaffrey’s injury history and the regular season just over three weeks away.
“Let me give you the contract update here,” Rapoport said. “This is not fake. Actually tightness. Not fake tightness. Not a hold in. Actually tightness. Doesn’t seem like anything to really worry about. I know we’ve heard that before with Christian McCaffrey, but for real this does not seem like anything to worry about. The timing of this coming right after Jahmyr Gibbs, right after Bijan Robinson got paid, my understanding… coincidence.”
From The Insiders on @NFLNetwork: #49ers RB Christian McCaffrey is actually dealing with tightness. pic.twitter.com/v1wtsEhyP4
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) August 17, 2026
McCaffrey’s 2026 Outlook
McCaffrey is coming off a dominant 2025 campaign in which he established himself as one of the best running backs in the NFL.
He earned Pro Bowl honors, finished fourth in MVP voting and racked up 311 carries for 1,202 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns. He also added 102 receptions for 924 yards and seven touchdowns through the air.
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