San Francisco 49ers star running back Christian McCaffrey will play Monday night against the Minnesota Vikings, sources told ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
McCaffrey is listed as questionable for the game after suffering an oblique injury during last Sunday’s loss to the Cleveland Browns. The two-time Pro Bowl selection returned to practice as a limited participant Saturday after missing the two previous workouts and said afterward that he felt “great.”
McCaffrey had a team of people working on his injury all week long, virtually around the clock, sources told Schefter. However, he also didn’t take a hit in practice all week, so while he will play, nobody knows how he will feel or react when he is tackled.
McCaffrey is aiming to extend his streak of consecutive games (including playoffs) with a touchdown to 16, which would be the second-longest streak in NFL history, trailing only former Baltimore Colts running back Lenny Moore, whose touchdown streak reached 17 between the 1963 and ’64 seasons.
McCaffrey hasn’t missed a game since the 49ers acquired him from the Carolina Panthers on Oct. 20, 2022.
The 49ers will be without wide receiver Deebo Samuel, who has a hairline fracture in his shoulder that he sustained against the Browns. 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan said Saturday that Samuel will miss at least the next two weeks leading into San Francisco’s Week 9 bye.
San Francisco also will be without left tackle Trent Williams, sources told Schefter. Williams is listed as doubtful due to a sprained right ankle, also sustained against Cleveland.
ESPN’s Nick Wagoner contributed to this report.
