McCaffrey Exits 49ers Game at Falcons With Thigh Injury, Questionable to Return

San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey left Sunday's Week 7 game against the Atlanta Falcons at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta with a thigh injury in the first quarter and was listed as questionable to return. Reuters and theScore both reported the same status, and McCaffrey had not returned to the game by halftime, when San Francisco led Atlanta 14-12.

Exit in the first quarter

McCaffrey was hurt at some point in the first quarter, although it is unclear exactly when the injury happened. He was treated on the sideline and went into the medical tent, where trainers were seen working on his left leg, according to the Fox broadcast as reported in live coverage of the game.

He stayed out for the 49ers' entire third drive of the game. With about five minutes left in the second quarter he jogged to the locker room for further examination, and he did not come back before halftime.

What he did before leaving

McCaffrey had opened the game as the center of the San Francisco offense, as he usually is. He had seven touches on the 49ers' first two possessions. Before he left, he had rushed four times for 29 yards and a touchdown and caught three passes for 45 yards.

That workload followed a heavy week. In Week 6, McCaffrey had a season-high 25 touches, so Sunday began as another game built around him before the injury changed the plan in the first quarter.

The drive he missed

The 49ers scored on the drive McCaffrey sat out. Backup running back Kaelon Black finished that third possession with a 30-yard rushing touchdown. Black carried three times for 52 yards on that drive, and the touchdown was the first of his career.

San Francisco still led at the break, 14-12, but it reached halftime without its starting running back and without any word that he would return in the second half.

What is not yet known

No diagnosis beyond a thigh injury had been announced by the 49ers at halftime, and the team had not ruled McCaffrey out for the game. His official status remained questionable to return, and no expected time out had been given.

That distinction matters. One low quality report claimed McCaffrey had been ruled out, but Reuters and theScore, checked again as this story was handed off, both said questionable only. This is a developing injury story about a star player leaving a game early, and his status for the rest of Sunday and for the weeks ahead will depend on what the 49ers say after further examination.