SANTA CLARA – All-Pro running back Christian McCaffrey withdrew from the 49ers' NFC championship game at a crucial time because he didn't want to take any chances.
More than an hour after the 49ers' win over the Detroit Lions, McCaffrey said his right shoulder felt quite good.
Coach Kyle Shanahan opened a call with Bay Area reporters on Monday with an updated injury report, and McCaffrey was not on the short list.
Tight end George Kittle (toe) and cornerback Ambry Thomas (ankle) are day to day, Shanahan said.
The 49ers will not practice on Tuesday or Wednesday. They then complete exercises on Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Kittle and Thomas are expected to be the only players unavailable to fully participate. Both are expected to be fine in the week leading up to the Super Bowl.
The 49ers rallied from a 17-point halftime deficit on Sunday night to beat the Lions 34-31 in the NFC Championship Game at Levi's Stadium and advance to Super Bowl LVIII in Las Vegas.
The 49ers led 27-24 with less than four minutes left when McCaffrey darted around right end for a 25-yard gain to the Detroit 3-yard line.
Lions safety Kirby Joseph knocked McCaffrey over at the end of the game and McCaffrey landed on his head and right shoulder. He stood up and signaled to the sideline for a replacement.
Running back Elijah Mitchell came into the game and immediately scored a powerful 3-yard run up the middle to extend the 49ers' lead to 10 points with 3:02 remaining.
“My shoulder was feeling a little weird,” McCaffrey said, “and I didn't want to be able to not grab the ball, especially in a crucial moment like this.”
“And Mitch is incredible. So he goes in there and gets a touchdown. I was happy and proud of him and our entire team. We scored points. That’s all I cared about.”
Mitchell stayed in the game after George Kittle recovered the Lions' onside kick with 55 seconds left. Mitchell carried three times to give quarterback Brock Purdy the opportunity to end the final second of the game with a fourth-down knee-down.
The only other 49ers who had physical issues on Sunday were allowed to return to the game.
Linebacker Dre Greenlaw suffered a stinger in the second quarter while also delivering a big third-down hit on Lions tight end Sam LaPorta. Greenlaw was back on the field on the next series and played every defensive snap of the game.
Wide receiver Jauan Jennings was OK after being evaluated for a possible concussion.
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