49ers running back Christian McCaffrey exits Week 7 win with thigh injury
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The gist
49ers running back Christian McCaffrey left the Atlanta game with a left leg issue.
San Francisco had already cut his workload after 413 touches last season.
Background
Christian McCaffrey is a San Francisco 49ers running back, described as a star and one of the league's elite runners at age 30. The 49ers have reduced his workload early this season after he logged 413 touches last year, the most by any player since 2014. He entered the Atlanta game with 350 rushing yards, 190 receiving yards and seven rushing touchdowns, and had set season highs in catches and targets the week before while the team was missing its top six receivers to injury.
How it unfolded
- Oct 19, 2026McCaffrey rushed 16 times for 64 yards and two touchdowns and caught nine of 10 targets for 53 yards, losing a fumble, in the 49ers' 23-17 win over the Commanders.
- Oct 21, 2026A report noted McCaffrey's seven rushing touchdowns lead the 49ers franchise and that he has 55 total touchdowns in 54 games since being traded by San Francisco four years ago, ninth on the franchise's all-time list.
- Oct 25, 2026In the Week 7 game at Atlanta, McCaffrey had four carries for 29 yards and a touchdown and three catches for 45 yards before exiting with a left leg issue; he went into the blue medical tent early in the second quarter.
- Oct 25, 2026The 49ers announced McCaffrey was questionable to return with a thigh injury.
Who’s saying what
- Expert
- Falcons running back Bijan Robinson said McCaffrey is "very detailed in his work ethic" and "the ultimate competitor."
- Analysts
- 49ers defensive coordinator Raheem Morris compared Robinson to McCaffrey, saying McCaffrey "is doing nothing but showing us the right way."
Still unverified
It isn't clear when McCaffrey got hurt; as of the report, all that was known was that he had a left leg issue.