McCaffrey’s practice pause signals a calculated contract move, not just an injury

San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey has missed practice with “tightness,” but coach Kyle Shanahan says it isn’t a hold-out for a contract adjustment. The piece argues the absence is a strategic hold-in aimed at securing future guaranteed money after market-setting deals for Bijan Robinson and Jahmyr Gibbs, weighing injury risk against the player’s and team’s long-term security.