We all got the same notification: “Christian McCaffrey returned to practice!” National reporters took that and ran with it, saying, “A big sigh of relief for the San Francisco 49ers.”

The Niners have several level-headed media members who aren’t looking to go viral. It’s important to remember that we are only allowed to watch 15-20 minutes of practice, generally just the stretching and individual drills, before getting kicked out.

Matt Maiocco clarified an initial report, citing that McCaffrey was working on the side field as the Niners began practice. He was not with the rest of the team during their pre-practice routine. Eric Branch noticed McCaffrey briefly going to the weight room at the start of individual drills. Cam Inman caught video and photos of McCaffrey, who typically warms u

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