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Two years on from his 49ers debut, Christian McCaffrey's absence against Chiefs doesn't loom quite so large

Originally posted on A to Z Sports | By Nicholas McGee | Last updated 10/17/24

Almost two years ago, Christian McCaffrey made his debut for the San Francisco 49ers in a Week 7 Super Bowl rematch with the Kansas City Chiefs at Levi's Stadium following a blockbuster midseason trade.

On Sunday, the 49ers will once again face the Chiefs in a Week 7 Super Bowl rematch at Levi's Stadium.

In 2022, while McCaffrey was on a pitch count, his arrival was rightly and presciently viewed as one to jump start a 49er offense that had until that point in the season not reached the usual standards expected of a Kyle Shanahan attack.

The difference this year is that, though the 49ers have obviously missed McCaffrey this year as he has sat out the entire season with Achilles tendinitis, the 49ers are seemingly in no great hurry to get him back on the field. San Francisco has yet to open McCaffrey's practice window despite him having missed the minimum of four games after being placed on injured reserve following the Week 1 win over the New York Jets.

NBC Sports Bay Area's Matt Maiocco articulated as such in an appearance on 'The Rich Eisen Show'.

"He went to Germany for some treatment," Maiocco said. "He seems to be responding well to that. But ... it's not about this game or the next game. They want him ready to go late in the season, and they need him at his best—again, assuming that they make the playoffs—they want him at his best then.

"In the meantime, the 49ers have gotten really good production out of Jordan Mason. So, there's no big hurry to rush him back out on the field. When he comes back, they want him back for the long haul. That's the key to this, is not to rush him back, and make sure that he's ready to go for considerable weeks and through the rest of the season when he gets back on the field."

Mason has indeed effectively replaced McCaffrey's rushing production. Despite missing most of the second half of the Niners' Week 6 win over the Seattle Seahawks with an AC joint sprain, Mason is second in the league in rushing with 609 yards. However, it is in the receiving game where McCaffrey's impact has arguably been most keenly felt.

The lack of a dynamic backfield pass-catcher who can also line up in the formation and do damage as a receiver has been glaring across the 49ers' first six games of the season, with Mason ill-equipped to fill the void left by McCaffrey in that department.

It has shown up most in the red zone, where the 49ers have been surprisingly profligate, scoring a touchdown on just 12 of their 27 trips inside the 20 without McCaffrey's gravitational impact on opposing defenders.

Yet McCaffrey's absence from the passing game has been offset somewhat by Brock Purdy's continued evolution, which has seen him lead an extremely efficient offense while attempting more lower-percentage downfield throws with fewer opportunities for yardage after the catch. Purdy is the highest graded quarterback in the NFL by Pro Football Focus and leads the league in both intended and completed air yards.

Whether that kind of efficiency on more difficult throws is sustainable remains to be seen but, two years on from the McCaffrey trade, he does not appear to be the necessity he was as recently as last year.

That is a bold statement to make about the reigning Offensive Player of the Year, but it speaks to Purdy's progression and the efficacy of the 49er run scheme.

San Francisco is obviously a much better team with McCaffrey and they would likely be faring much better in the red zone with him on the field, but he is not essential to the 49ers beating the Chiefs. As such, the 49ers are correct to take their time with a player whose impact will likely be more tangibly felt down the stretch.

This article first appeared on A to Z Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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