Christian McCaffrey Jan 8, 2023; Santa Clara, California, USA; San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey (23) tosses the ball after a catch against the Arizona Cardinals during the second quarter at Levi’s Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-USA TODAY Sports

San Francisco 49ers star Christian McCaffrey didn’t practice on Thursday, but don’t expect him to miss Sunday’s NFC Championship Game.

Ahead of that game and after sitting out of practice, McCaffrey announced his status for the game Sunday against the Philadelphia Eagles. As if there was any doubt, CMC plans to suit up.

Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle tweeted, “Christian McCaffrey (calf) on if there’s any chance he won’t play Sunday: ‘Zero.'”

The 49ers acquired McCaffrey from the Carolina Panthers in October. Since he debuted in a loss against the Kansas City Chiefs – the last loss the Niners have taken – he’s been brilliant. With the Niners, he rushed for 746 yards on 159 carries with six touchdowns. Meanwhile, he caught 52 receptions for 464 yards and four receiving scores.

In the postseason, McCaffrey has been everything San Francisco could have asked for. He scored the game-winning touchdown against the Dallas Cowboys in the NFC Divisional Round. This came after a 119-yard day on the ground against Seattle, where he scored a receiving touchdown.

San Francisco will need everything CMC can give them against the high-powered Eagles. The Eagles are armed with Jalen Hurts, A.J. Brown, DeVonta Smith, Dallas Goedert, and Miles Sanders. That plus a fierce defense and pass-rush have built a powerhouse in Philly. San Francisco and the Eagles have been the best teams in the NFC all season, so it is fitting they’ll meet on Sunday.

And the 49ers will have their star running back aboard for the NFC Championship, no matter what, it sure sounds like.

[Eric Branch]

About Chris Novak

Chris Novak has been talking and writing about sports ever since he can remember. Previously, Novak wrote for and managed sites in the SB Nation network for nearly a decade from 2013-2022