Christian McCaffrey could miss ‘a couple of months’ with Achilles injury, expert warns after 49ers star flew to Germany to see a knee specialist

The San Francisco 49ers got more bad injury news Thursday when an expert suggested running back Christian McCaffrey could miss “a few months” as he battles Achilles tendonitis.

Eric Branch of The San Francisco Chronicle reports this that McCaffrey can still fully recover from the injury. But after speaking with Dr. Kenton Fibel, the medical director of the NHL’s Anaheim Ducks, the reporter warned the 49ers not to expect McCaffrey back anytime soon.

McCaffrey went to Germany to see a specialist about his Achilles tendonitis, which Fibel sees as a red flag. Although he has not personally examined McCaffrey, Fibel sees McCaffrey’s trip to Germany as a way to gain access to treatments that have not yet been approved in the U.S. by the Food and Drug Administration.

“I think it’s more indicative of this being an injury where they think they need a little bit more to promote its healing, which could take weeks or a few months, rather than a week or two,” Fibel says, a sports medicine specialist at Cedars-Sinai. Kerlan-Jobe Institute in Los Angeles, Branch said.

“This could be something where you realize the pathology is a little more serious and reserve a way to get him back this season, even if it’s a month or two before he needs a longer recovery.”

Coach Kyle Shanahan confirmed that McCaffrey made the trip in hopes of resolving an issue that had been bothering him since the start of training camp and had forced him onto injured reserve to start the season.

“I know he’s going to a specialist who I think can help him with his Achilles heel process,” Shanahan said Monday. “I think he’ll do that in the next few days, and hopefully it will help.”

McCaffrey was injured early in training camp and missed four weeks of practice before returning to the field on a limited basis for the season opener on September 9 against the Jets.

He was late for that game and subsequently went to injured reserve on September 14, two days after experiencing Achilles tendon soreness following a workout. He is eligible to return for a Week 6 game at Seattle, but there is no indication he is close to playing.

McCaffrey led the NFL with 2,023 yards from scrimmage last season and tied for the league lead with 21 touchdowns, winning AP Offensive Player of the Year.

After missing 23 games due to injuries in his last two full seasons at Carolina, McCaffrey has been healthy the past two seasons.

He missed just one game combined in the 2022-23 season – a meaningless game in Week 18 last season for San Francisco when he had a sore calf. His 798 combined touches from scrimmage in the regular season and playoffs were the third-most for any player in a two-year span in the past decade.

San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy is dealing with back pain

Also injured on the offensive side of the ball are WR Deebo Samuel (L) and TE George Kittle (R)

The Niners have been hit hard by injuries early this season, with star receiver Deebo Samuel and All-Pro tight end George Kittle also missing time, and defensive tackle Javon Hargrave suffered a likely season-ending injury on Sunday.

Hargrave has a partially torn triceps that requires surgery. Shanahan said there’s a possibility he could return if San Francisco makes a deep playoff run, but the team plans to go the rest of the way without one of its best defensive players.

“It’s a big one,” Shanahan said. ‘I thought he played his best game yesterday. I thought he was a big factor that really influenced the quarterback in that game. It’s a big loss. He is one of our better players. He was definitely heading in the right direction and should have a big year.”

In other injury news, quarterback Brock Purdy is nursing a sore back after Sunday’s loss. An MRI came back clean and Purdy is listed as day-to-day.

San Francisco should bring Kittle back this week after he missed a game last week with a hamstring injury suffered during practice.

Shanahan said he has not received any recent updates on the status of linebacker Dre Greenlaw, who is expected sometime in the second half of the season after tearing his Achilles tendon in the Super Bowl.