San Francisco 49ers star running back Christian McCaffrey was listed as limited in Thursday’s practice due to an illness, according to multiple reports.

The update hit just days before the 49ers’ Week 15 matchup with the Tennessee Titans at Levi’s Stadium, sending “Christian McCaffrey injury” searches spiking as fans and fantasy managers looked for answers.

Early indications are that McCaffrey is dealing with an illness rather than a setback to his lower-body injuries from last season. Reporters characterized the situation as an illness that limited his work Thursday, not a new leg injury.

Even so, any change to McCaffrey’s practice status is notable given his heavy workload and lengthy injury history.

Christian McCaffrey Limited With Illness on 49ers’ Thursday Report

McCaffrey was tagged as limited on Thursday after previously handling a massive workload through the first 13 games of the season.

Fantasy-focused outlets quickly pointed out that players rarely miss games solely due to illness, and at least one report suggested expectations remain that McCaffrey will suit up Sunday if he can return to full participation by the end of the week.

The 49ers will release their official game status report on Friday, which will clarify whether McCaffrey carries a questionable designation into the Titans game.

Given his importance to the offense, even a limited tag on Thursday is enough to make headlines and drive search traffic around his injury status.

What McCaffrey’s Illness Means for 49ers vs. Titans

McCaffrey has been the engine of the San Francisco offense, ranking fifth in the NFL in receptions and near the top of the league in total touches. Through 13 games, he has 237 carries and 85 catches, producing 1,655 yards from scrimmage and 13 total touchdowns.

With the 49ers sitting at 9-4 and pushing for playoff positioning in the NFC, they can’t afford a prolonged absence from their star back, even against a struggling 2-11 Titans team.

If McCaffrey were to be limited or miss snaps Sunday, recently acquired running back Brian Robinson Jr. would be the next man up in the backfield pecking order, according to the same fantasy reports.

San Francisco could also lean more heavily on its passing attack and short-game designs to replicate McCaffrey’s receiving impact if he is not at full strength.

For now, the bigger concern may be conditioning and energy rather than reinjury, but any illness this late in the year comes with some uncertainty.

Stats, Schedule & Context for 49ers and McCaffrey

The 49ers host the Titans on Sunday, December 14, in a late-afternoon kickoff at Levi’s Stadium, part of a key stretch run as they try to lock down playoff seeding.

McCaffrey is coming off a 2024 campaign in which calf, Achilles and knee issues cost him significant time, including a PCL injury that landed him on injured reserve and cut his regular season short.

Those past issues are a big reason why even an illness-related limitation immediately triggers concern among 49ers fans. Heavy will continue to monitor McCaffrey’s health and post injury updates as they become available.

As of December 11, the headline is simple: Christian McCaffrey is on the injury report again, but this time it’s an illness, not a new leg injury. The 49ers and fantasy managers will be watching Friday’s practice closely to see whether the limited tag disappears before kickoff.