The San Francisco 49ers' championship hopes can continue with the return of running back and reigning Offensive Player of the Year Christian McCaffrey.

There was a potential chance for him to come back after the team's Week 6 game against the Seahawks through the extra time off between games. According to head coach Kyle Shanahan, while the extra time off isn't enough for the 49ers to get McCaffrey back in time for their Week 7 game against the Kansas City Chiefs, the extra time off isn't enough.

“NO. He continues to improve, but we will not be opening it this week,” Shanahan told reporters on a conference call Friday.

McCaffrey has been dealing with Achilles tendonitis since Week 17 of last season.

It looks like the team will make the rounds sometime after the bye week, which would make sense since it would give him three extra weeks to recover from his rehab to ensure he doesn't suffer any setbacks.

That was already a problem this year. The club tried to get him ready for Week 1, but he was unable to play in the season opener and then went on IR before Week 2.

If they push him back a second time, they risk losing him for the rest of the season. Ensuring he's fully ready before his return is the smart move, and sometime after the Week 9 bye may be the best way to ensure he stays healthy.