SANTA CLARA — The San Francisco 49ers returned to the practice field this week with a very important piece back after missing most of last season with injuries.

Running back Christian McCaffrey is fully recovered from the Achilles’ and knee injuries that limited him to just four games last season in a major boost to the Niners.

McCaffrey took part in the first team practice open to the media this season on Thursday, showing no ill effects from the injuries that led to a frustrating 2024 season.

“Christian is as ready as any player I’ve ever been around,” coach Kyle Shanahan said. “When he gets hurt, he’s got to rehab and get better. Right now he’s healthy as can be. We’ve got to kind of protect him from himself, but Christian has a good idea of what he needs to do right now. He’s doing a lot less than he normally would do, but I know he is excited on how healthy he feels and the fact that he can get out there.”

McCaffrey Shows Championship Form in Practice

McCaffrey looked like his old self in drills, showing the speed and explosiveness that helped him win AP Offensive Player of the Year in 2023.

McCaffrey skipped the voluntary portion of the offseason last year awaiting a new contract and barely got any time on the field. He went down early in training camp with Achilles’ tendinitis that sidelined him for the first eight games.

He returned and played four games before injuring his right knee in Week 13 in Buffalo, then missed the final five games.

He rushed for just 202 yards on 50 carries in four games and was unable to match his sensational 2023 season. The Niners hope having a healthy McCaffrey will help them bounce back from a 6-11 season in 2024.

“He’s still really good at football, so that’s exciting,” tight end George Kittle said. “One year removed from being Offensive Player of the Year. Still very good at football, looks great. … Having Christian out there is awesome.”

Star Running Back’s Award-Winning Legacy

McCaffrey won the award after leading the NFL with 2,023 yards from scrimmage and tying for the league lead with 21 touchdowns.

McCaffrey had missed just one game combined in 2022-23 — a meaningless Week 18 game in the 2023 season for San Francisco when he had a sore calf — after missing 23 games because of injuries in his final two full seasons with Carolina.

The Niners have had good attendance this offseason thanks in part to getting lucrative contract extensions done early with stars Kittle, quarterback Brock Purdy and linebacker Fred Warner.

That’s in sharp contrast to recent years when contract disputes didn’t get resolved until after the start of training camp or later.

“I’m a huge fan of getting all the things done early,” Kittle said. “I’m glad they decided to do that. That’s awesome for us because now we have everybody in the building that’s just focused on playing football, and focusing on just getting a little bit better every single day. I’m huge fan us getting them all done. It’s good for football because now all we’re focused on is football.”

The one notable absence has been star left tackle Trent Williams, who took part in the start of the offseason program but has been away the past couple of weeks. Shanahan said he expected Williams back soon with mandatory minicamp starting June 10.

Injury Updates

The Niners have several players still recovering from injuries and not taking part in the start of offseason practices, including receiver Brandon Aiyuk (knee) and safety Malik Mustapha (knee).

Shanahan also said that safety Ji’Ayir Brown had ankle surgery in the offseason and will be out until training camp. Receiver Ricky Pearsall injured his hamstring during offseason workouts and likely won’t be ready until training camp.

Rookies Alfred Collins (calf) and Marques Sigle (unknown) also are currently sidelined with injuries.

Defensive end Yetur Gross-Matos is also away from the team awaiting the birth of his child.

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AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL