Heading into Week 10 of the 2024 NFL season, the San Francisco 49ers may be getting some major reinforcements as running back Christian McCaffrey has made his return to the practice field.

McCaffrey, the former Carolina Panthers star, has been out for the entire season after the 49ers placed him on injured reserve on Sept. 14 while dealing with Achilles tendinitis and a calf issue. With the calf injury having healed, the tendinitis lingered, causing McCaffrey to see a specialist in Germany in late Sept.

Now, McCaffrey has his sights set on a Week 10 return as the 49ers, fresh off their bye week, head to Florida to face the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

San Francisco head coach Kyle Shanahan provided an update on Wednesday, confirming that his All-Pro running back had “no pain” leading up to practice, in which he participated in limited fashion.

It’s a good sign for the 49ers, who have underperformed halfway through the 2024 season. The 2023 NFC champions have started the year 4-4 through eight games, good for second place in the NFC West.

Jordan Mason, who had taken over the starting role in McCaffrey’s absence, was more than serviceable behind quarterback Brock Purdy.

The former Georgia Tech standout recorded 134 carries for 685 yards (4th in the NFL) and three touchdowns. But, his production went down over the past few weeks as he was dealing with an AC joint injury in his shoulder, which he suffered in Week 6 against the Seattle Seahawks.

With McCaffrey on his way back, San Francisco will look to lock in a few wins and get well above .500 as they enter the latter half of the season.