When Christian McCaffrey and Dre Greenlaw return – NBC Sports Bay Area & California

Kyle Shanahan gave several injury updates Monday following the 49ers' loss to the Kansas City Chiefs, as well as updates on players with existing injuries – including running back Christian McCaffrey.

Aside from wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk, who suffered a season-ending knee injury, and fellow wideout Deebo Samuel, who spent the night in the hospital with pneumonia, tight end George Kittle suffered a sprained foot and is out, as is receiver Chris Daily life Conley with an ankle sprain.

But when it comes to San Francisco adding players who haven't played this season, fans and teams alike will have to be patient. Shanahan shared that McCaffrey likely won't return until after the bye week, which follows after the 49ers host the Dallas Cowboys next Sunday night in Week 8.

“Christian is still making progress in his rehab,” Shanahan said in a conference call. “He hasn’t suffered any setbacks so it’s only been good news so far. I'd be surprised if I got it back this week. But hopefully the bye week goes well and we have a much better chance there right after the bye week.”

Kicker Jake Moody, who suffered a severe ankle sprain during a tackle in Week 5, has a similar return timeline to McCaffrey. The 49ers' third-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft could not return until after the bye week at the earliest, when the team travels to Tampa Bay to face the Buccaneers.

Moody's injured ankle is his kicking foot, which could affect his accuracy and make his return dependent on how he feels when he actually starts kicking again.

As for linebacker Dre Greenlaw, who suffered a torn Achilles tendon in Super Bowl LVIII, the 49ers will have to wait a bit longer, but the news is still positive.

“Greenlaw is still a few weeks away,” Shanahan said. “Everything is still going well, but at the moment it’s not that fast.”

Greenlaw was regularly seen practicing near his position group as well as on the sidelines during games. All three starters can't return soon enough to help right the ship as the 49ers, sitting at 3-4, struggle to keep their playoff hopes alive.

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