Shanahan dismisses idea RB McCaffrey sitting out for new deal

EL SEGUNDO, Calif. -- San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey has missed a handful of practices with what the team has called tightness and no other reason, coach Kyle Shanahan said Tuesday.

Unsourced speculation swirled Monday that perhaps McCaffrey's absence was due, in part, to the desire for a contract adjustment given the recent increase in money paid to others at his position. The theory was that the combined $134.25 million deals given to Detroit's Jahmyr Gibbs and Atlanta's Bijan Robinson might have McCaffrey wanting more money.

McCaffrey has two years remaining on the extension he signed in 2024 with cap numbers of $10.86 million this season and $26.41 million in 2027. Asked about that conjecture Tuesday, Shanahan said it was not the case.

"I think they make a lot of assumptions, and that would be one that they're wrong on," Shanahan said after the Niners completed a joint practice with the Los Angeles Chargers.

Shanahan went on to give an update on McCaffrey's status as McCaffrey visited with his family and young daughter on a nearby practice field.

"I think if it wasn't Christian and we were in a game week, I think he would play today," Shanahan said.

Shanahan has repeatedly said that the team does not want to rush McCaffrey back for fear of turning that tightness into a more significant injury that could keep him out long term.

When asked where, exactly, McCaffrey is dealing with tightness, Shanahan declined to say, noting that McCaffrey doesn't like it when he offers too many details about his injuries.

Some of that is related to 2024 when McCaffrey missed most of training camp practices for what initially was described as a minor injury but became bilateral Achilles tendinitis that kept him out the first eight games of the season.

McCaffrey played in every game last season, leading the league in touches (413) and finishing second in the NFL in yards from scrimmage (2,126).

Kaelon Black, the rookie running back the team drafted in the third round, returned to practice Tuesday after missing time because of an adductor injury. Elsewhere on the injury front, Shanahan said defensive end Nick Bosa is taking positive steps in dealing with soreness and tendinitis related to his recovery from a torn ACL.

Bosa has missed the past couple of weeks after doing individual drills only during the opening days of practice, but he did a workout on the side in front of reporters Sunday.

"He's making a lot of progress," Shanahan said. "He's got a lot less irritation, soreness, tendinitis, whatever you want to call it, than he had last week. He's going the right direction, and I see him similar to Christian."

Wide receiver Mike Evans, who returned from a tight quad last week, took part in most of Tuesday's practice but stopped before the final periods. He initially had his left foot wrapped in ice before watching the end of the session with that ice pack relocated to his left quad.

Shanahan indicated that Evans would be OK.

"They just said he has some tightness, so we're just going to be smart taking him out," Shanahan said. "I don't think it's anything worse, so we'll see when we get in there, but nothing that I'm worried about right now."br/]