SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) — In a training camp that has seemed to feature a new injury almost every day for the San Francisco 49ers, the one positive on the injury front has been the health of Christian McCaffrey.

After missing almost all of last season with injuries to his Achilles tendon and knee, McCaffrey has been one of the few running backs or receivers to make it through the first five weeks of practice without an injury.

While he has gotten some scheduled rest days, McCaffrey has been a near constant on the field and once again looks like the player who transformed the 49ers offense after arriving in a midseason trade in 2022.

“You all have eyes like I do, Christian looks fantastic,” star left tackle Trent Williams said Thursday. “He looks like Offense Player of the Year Christian. So that’s really, really refreshing to see, knowing what he had to deal with last year, just the little nicks and knacks and not being able to do what he loves. To see him out there this year 100% healthy, treating every play like it’s his last, playing with his hair on fire. It really motivates the guys when you got a generational talent that brings it to work and to practice every day.”

It's a far cry from last season when McCaffrey injured his Achilles tendon early in training camp and missed the first eight games of the season. He rushed for just 202 yards on 50 carries in four games before going down with a season-ending knee injury as he was unable to match his sensational 2023 season.

McCaffrey won the AP Offensive Player of the Year that season after leading the NFL with 2,023 yards from scrimmage and tying for the league lead with 21 touchdowns.

McCaffrey had missed just one game combined in 2022-23 — a meaningless Week 18 game in the 2023 season for San Francisco when he had a sore calf — after missing 23 games because of injuries in his final two full seasons with Carolina.

Coach Kyle Shanahan joked last week that McCaffrey had hit 25 mph on his GPS readings in practice. But no matter what speed McCaffrey has reached, he is looking much healthier than he did a year ago when he missed almost all of training camp.

“Obviously physically he looks great, getting in and out of cuts, running hard. Back to the McCaffrey that we all know,” quarterback Brock Purdy said. “And then mentally he’s just, he’s on one, like he’s ready to get after it with the season and obviously from beginning to end, like play a whole season and go hard. That’s who he is. He keeps telling all of us in the locker room, he’s like, ‘Dude, I can’t wait. I can’t wait.’”

Roster moves

Receiver Skyy Moore passed a physical, completing a trade that sent him to San Francisco from Kansas City. The Niners sent a sixth-round pick in 2027 to the Chiefs for Moore and a 2027 seventh-rounder.

Moore gives San Francisco a healthy body at receiver with so many other players hurt or facing a suspension to start the season such as Demarcus Robinson. General manager John Lynch said on his radio show on flagship station KNBR on Thursday that Russell Gage was the latest Niners receiver to get hurt with a knee injury that will likely sideline him for a week or two.

San Francisco already is dealing with injuries at receiver to Brandon Aiyuk, Jauan Jennings, Jacob Cowing and Jordan Watkins.

Moore was drafted by Kansas City in the second round in 2022 but hasn’t produced much in his first three seasons. He had 43 catches for 494 yards and one TD in 36 games. He didn’t catch a single pass last season because of a core muscle injury.

The Niners also made a swap at backup quarterback with the team re-signing Tanner Mordecai after cutting him earlier this month and releasing Nate Sudfeld after two practices. Mordecai should get time in the exhibition finale on Saturday against the Chargers.

Cornerback Tre Brown was placed on injured reserve, ending his season. Brown was signed in March to be in the mix at either slot or outside cornerback after spending four seasons with Seattle. But he fell down the depth chart early in camp and now is shut down with an undisclosed injury.

___

AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL