SANTA CLARA — Running back Christian McCaffrey peeled back the curtain on Wednesday to share his mental approach while he’s going through some physical issues.
A week ago, McCaffrey said there was no doubt in his mind he would play in the Week 1 game against the New York Jets. He was deactivated 90 minutes before kickoff due to Achilles tendinitis and a calf strain.
This week, he is not changing his approach.
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“My mentality is I’m playing this week,” McCaffrey said on Wednesday. “That’s where I’m at. That’s how I am every week. I’m not lying. As soon as a player says, ‘Maybe I’ll play, maybe I won’t,’ that’s not a good mentality to go into a week with when you’re kind of on the fence. For me, I’m ready to go.”
McCaffrey was expected to be a limited participant in practice on Wednesday, as the 49ers begin preparations to face the Minnesota Vikings on the artificial turf of U.S. Bank Stadium.
The surface of the field will have no impact on McCaffrey’s availability, he said.
“If you can’t run on turf, you can’t run on grass,” he said. “If you can go, you can go.”
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McCaffrey said the lower-leg issues he is dealing with now is not a carryover from the issue he experienced late last season. McCaffrey had a calf strain in Week 17 and did not play in the 49ers’ final regular-season game.
Coach Kyle Shanahan said it was difficult to deactivate McCaffrey for the opener but said it ultimately was an easy decision based on it being so early in the season.
“I feel like mentally, I’m always prepared to play,” McCaffrey said. “My mindset is I’m going to play no matter what I’m going through physically on Wednesday or Thursday practice. And then on game day, we got to make a decision.”
McCaffrey was the NFL Offensive Player of the Year last season. He led the league with 1,459 rushing yards and 14 touchdowns while catching 67 passes for 564 receiving yards and seven touchdowns.
Third-year running back Jordan Mason took over for McCaffrey and had a huge game with 147 rushing yards and a touchdown on 28 rushing attempts.
McCaffrey said he kept his distance and let Mason do his thing on Monday night.
“I’m so proud of him,” McCaffrey said. “When you’re in a rhythm and you’re in a groove, you let him be. He showed that. I was so pumped for him. Just everything he’s done all camp, he earned that, and he balled out and it showed.”
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