Sherman offers interesting insight into the 49ers' CMC injury handling

The timeline surrounding Christian McCaffrey's rehabilitation from his Achilles tendinitis injury has been foggy throughout training camp and the start of the 2024 NFL regular season.

After initially appearing to be ready for Week 1, the 49ers placed their star back on IR, and his return is now slated for November.

That erratic timeline has been frustrating for the faithful. However, former San Francisco cornerback Richard Sherman — who has dealt with several Achilles and calf injuries throughout his career — explained Monday why fans should remain calm as they await McCaffrey's recovery.

“Nina is faithful, patience is a virtue,” she said on the latest episode of “The Richard Sherman Podcast.” “Don't sit here and try to figure out when Christian is coming back. Be patient. I guarantee you he's not trying to milk it.”

Not only does Sherman relate to McCaffrey's physical ailments, but they also come from similar backgrounds as the Stanford products. So if fans are going to listen to someone outside the 49ers organization for input, Sherman is probably a good start.

“The Achilles injury is one that is very touchy,” Sherman continued. “I speak from experience — I have an Achilles rupture and Achilles tendinitis in the other ankle.”

In explaining the potential rehabilitation process from an Achilles injury, Sherman noted that McCaffrey can't just receive an injection to ease the pain.

“That's one thing you should know,” Sherman elaborated. “Everybody's like, 'Man, why can't you just take a shot?' You can't put a cortisone shot into the Achilles tendon … it will weaken it and rupture.”

With that personal experience, the five-time All-Pro agrees with the 49ers' cautious approach to McCaffrey, who already has a significant injury history.

“It's not worth it. They're playing it as fair as they can,” Sherman explained. “They're taking their time to let him go for whatever treatment he can get, because … no matter how tough you want to be, you've got to be tougher than your brain and you've got to send signals to your brain. You're right…

“Every single one is different. So if you hear from an expert, 'Oh, he might come back here' or 'He won't come back here,' they don't know, because nobody knows … he might wake up tomorrow and Will be able to walk to sprint again

“That's how crazy these injuries and flareups are.”

That back-and-forth pattern described by Sherman certainly tracks with what has been reported around McCaffrey in recent weeks. So, while it probably won't be easy for 49ers fans to hear, they'll have to be patient — just as Sherman warned.

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