Christian McCaffrey returns to 49ers practice, showing no ill effects from injuries
SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) — The San Francisco 49ers returned to the practice field this week with a very important piece back after missing most of last season with injuries.
Running back Christian McCaffrey is fully recovered from the Achilles' and knee injuries that limited him to just four games last season in a major boost to the Niners.
McCaffrey took part in the first team practice open to the media this season on Thursday, showing no ill effects from the injuries that led to a frustrating 2024 season.
'Christian is as ready as any player I've ever been around,' coach Kyle Shanahan said. 'When he gets hurt, he's got to rehab and get better. Right now he's healthy as can be. We've got to kind of protect him from himself, but Christian has a good idea of what he needs to do right now. He's doing a lot less than he normally would do, but I know he is excited on how healthy he feels and the fact that he can get out there.'
McCaffrey looked like his old self in drills, showing the speed and explosiveness that helped him win AP Offensive Player of the Year in 2023.
McCaffrey skipped the voluntary portion of the offseason last year awaiting a new contract and barely got any time on the field. He went down early in training camp with Achilles' tendinitis that sidelined him for the first eight games.
He returned and played four games before injuring his right knee in Week 13 in Buffalo, then missed the final five games.
He rushed for just 202 yards on 50 carries in four games and was unable to match his sensational 2023 season. The Niners hope having a healthy McCaffrey will help them bounce back from a 6-11 season in 2024.
'He's still really good at football, so that's exciting,' tight end George Kittle said. 'One year removed from being Offensive Player of the Year. Still very good at football, looks great. ... Having Christian out there is awesome.'
McCaffrey won the award 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.
The Niners have had good attendance this offseason thanks in part to getting lucrative contract extensions done early with stars Kittle, quarterback Brock Purdy and linebacker Fred Warner.
That's in sharp contrast to recent years when contract disputes didn't get resolved until after the start of training camp or later.
'I'm a huge fan of getting all the things done early,' Kittle said. 'I'm glad they decided to do that. That's awesome for us because now we have everybody in the building that's just focused on playing football, and focusing on just getting a little bit better every single day. I'm huge fan us getting them all done. It's good for football because now all we're focused on is football.'
The one notable absence has been star left tackle Trent Williams, who took part in the start of the offseason program but has been away the past couple of weeks. Shanahan said he expected Williams back soon with mandatory minicamp starting June 10.
Injury updates
The Niners have several players still recovering from injuries and not taking part in the start of offseason practices, including receiver Brandon Aiyuk (knee) and safety Malik Mustapha (knee).
Shanahan also said that safety Ji'Ayir Brown had ankle surgery in the offseason and will be out until training camp. Receiver Ricky Pearsall injured his hamstring during offseason workouts and likely won't be ready until training camp.
Rookies Alfred Collins (calf) and Marques Sigle (unknown) also are currently sidelined with injuries.
Defensive end Yetur Gross-Matos is also away from the team awaiting the birth of his child.
___
AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
10 minutes ago
- Yahoo
England XV vs France XV: Kick-off time, TV channel, live stream, team news, lineups, h2h, odds today
The focus of the rugby world may be elsewhere, but an England XV take on their France counterparts in an uncapped contest at Allianz Stadium Twickenham this afternoon. Missing 13 players called up for the British and Irish Lions, Saturday's fixture is a great chance for a number of hopefuls to stake their claim for a regular berth under Steve Borthwick ahead of a two-Test summer tour to Argentina next month that is followed by a one-off clash against the USA in Washington. Advertisement It is England's first outing since the end of an eventful Six Nations in March, when they ended up finishing second after destroying sorry Wales 68-14 with a stunning 10-try blitz in Cardiff that was ultimately not enough to pip France, who sealed the title after defeating Scotland in Paris later on Super Saturday. Borthwick's side won their last four games in a row in the competition after being beaten by Ireland on opening weekend, brushing aside Italy as well as edging out both France and Scotland by a solitary point on home soil. England will hope to continue that feel-good factor here despite the absence of so many of their key players including captain Maro Itoje, who will skipper the Lions in their farewell fixture against Argentina on Friday night and on the subsequent nine-match tour to Australia that includes three Tests with the Wallabies. France coach Fabien Galthie has named an 'A' team squad that includes an intriguing mix of experience and youth and will be hoping to get some degree of revenge for England wrecking Les Bleus' Grand Slam chances back in February, but he cannot call upon players involved in the Top 14 semi-finals. England XV vs France XV date, kick-off time and venue The game takes place this afternoon, Saturday June 21, 2025 with a 3:15pm BST kick-off time at Allianz Stadium Twickenham in south-west London. How to watch England XV vs France XV TV channel and live stream: Saturday's match is being shown live via World Rugby's streaming service RugbyPass TV, which is free if you create an account. Coverage begins at kick-off. Advertisement Live blog: Follow the action as it happens this weekend with Standard Sport's live blog. England XV vs France XV team news Borthwick - who will announce his travelling group for the summer on June 23 - named a 36-player England training squad ahead of the game, though quickly saw former captain Jamie George and Sale prop Asher Opoku-Fordjour both depart to train with the Lions. They were joined by Jack van Poortvliet, who is training in Dublin as specialist scrum-half cover for the injured Jamison Gibson-Park. George has since returned to co-captain England alongside George Ford, who will have to wait a little longer for his 100th cap. Advertisement Starting on the wing is Immanuel Feyi-Waboso, who is back fit after a shoulder injury that ruled him out of the Six Nations and initial Lions contention, having last played in December. Sale full-back Joe Carpenter, Gloucester centre Seb Atkinson and Bath's Premiership-winning flanker Guy Pepper are the three uncapped players in the starting XV, along with Harlequins duo Jack Kenningham and Oscar Beard on the bench. Late Lions call? Immanuel Feyi-Waboso could yet prove himself worthy of a place on Australia tour (Andrew Matthews/PA Wire) Ben Curry, Fraser Dingwall, George Furbank and Harry Randall are all continuing their respective injury rehabilitations with England, but Ollie Lawrence remains absent along with the likes of Joe Batley, Alex Lozowski, George Martin and Ollie Sleightholme. Advertisement France's experimental side is captained by Gael Fickou, with flying wing Theo Attissogbe starting at full-back and veteran prop Rabah Slimani playing an international for the first time in nearly six years. The likes of Emilien Gailleton, Hugo Auradou, Mickael Guillard and Nolann Le Garrec also start, while there are debuts for Alivereti Duguivalu, Baptiste Erdocio, the Canada-born Tyler Duguid, Alexandre Fischer and Mael Moustin. Guillaume Marchand, Paul Mallez, Jaco van Tonder and Leo Berdeu are also poised to make their France debuts off the bench. England XV vs France XV lineups England XV: Carpenter; Roebuck, Slade, Atkinson, Feyi-Waboso; Ford (co-c), Spencer; Baxter, George (co-c), Heyes; Coles, Isiekwe; Hill, Pepper, Willis Advertisement Replacements: Dan, Rodd, Davison, Cunningham-South, Kenningham, Dombrandt, Quirke, Beard France XV: Attissogbe; Moustin, Gailleton, Fickou (c), Duguivalu; Hastoy, Le Garrec; Erdocio, Barlot, Slimani; Auradou, Duguid; Fischer, Tixeront, Guillard Replacements: G Marchand, Mallez, Bamba, R Taofifenua, Van Tonder, Woki, Jauneau, Berdeu England vs France head to head (h2h) history and results England's shock 26-25 win over France at a wet Twickenham back in February ended a run of three successive losses in Le Crunch, with Les Bleus having registered 53 points on their previous trip to HQ in 2023. England wins: 61 Advertisement France wins: 44 Draws: 7 England XV vs France XV prediction Despite no official caps being on offer, this is still a fascinating contest that should prove every bit as ferocious as a full Test with players on both sides hoping to prove their worth. There are huge opportunities across the board for England during a Lions summer and Borthwick will be keen to strike a balance between youthful exuberance and crucial experience ahead of what will be a tough tour to Argentina. Galthie is also experimenting, though has picked a backline packed full of try-scoring threat that may well prove too dangerous for the hosts to overcome. France to win, by seven points. England XV vs France XV match odds England to win: 2/7 France to win: 13/5 Draw 25/1 Odds via William Hill (subject to change)
Yahoo
12 minutes ago
- Yahoo
These Artificial Intelligence (AI) Stocks Are Quietly Outperforming the Market
Two AI stocks have crushed the broader market in the past year, and they seem primed for more upside. Fast-growing demand for AI tools in cloud-based services is helping these companies attract new customers. 10 stocks we like better than Twilio › Artificial intelligence (AI) stocks have been in fine form on the market in the past few years, and that's not surprising, as this technology has supercharged the growth of many companies. Thanks to huge investments in AI hardware such as semiconductors, as well as the rapidly growing adoption of AI software to boost productivity, it is estimated that overall spending on AI could hit a massive $628 billion by 2028. This explains why investors have been buying AI stocks hand over fist. However, there are certain AI stocks that have significantly outpaced the broader stock market, and importantly, they still have the potential to deliver more upside. Let's take a closer look at these two names that aren't all that popular, but have been outperforming the market in the past year. Twilio (NYSE: TWLO) stock is up an impressive 115% in the past year as of this writing, easily outperforming the 11% gains clocked by the Nasdaq Composite over the same period. The good part is that Twilio still trades at an attractive 26 times forward earnings and 4 times sales, even after its terrific surge in the past year. The valuation makes buying Twilio stock a no-brainer right now, especially considering how AI now plays an important role in accelerating its growth. Twilio's application programming interfaces (APIs) allow its clients to connect with their customers through various channels such as voice, text, email, video, chat, and others. Twilio points out that its customer engagement platform is used by more than 300,000 enterprises globally. Specifically, the company ended the first quarter of 2025 with more than 335,000 active customer accounts, an increase of 7% from the previous year. This huge customer base is a key reason why one can consider buying Twilio stock right now, as it gives the company the opportunity to cross-sell its AI offerings to a big pool of customers. Twilio has been offering multiple AI tools to customers, such as generative AI-powered assistants that can help tackle customer service queries autonomously, integrating human-like conversational AI assistants to talk to customers in real time and derive critical insights from customers' data with the help of AI. The growing demand for these AI services helps Twilio win more business from existing customers. This is evident from the five-percentage-point jump in fiscal 2025 Q1's dollar-based net expansion rate compared to the first quarter of 2024. The higher customer spending, along with an increase in Twilio's customer base, are the reasons why it has raised its full-year organic revenue growth guidance to 8% from the earlier forecast of 7.5%. This combination of higher customer spending, along with an increase in the customer count, explains why analysts expect a 24% increase in Twilio's earnings this year, followed by impressive growth over the next couple of years as well. Assuming Twilio indeed generates $6.21 per share in earnings after a couple of years and trades at 30 times earnings at that time (in line with the tech-laden Nasdaq-100 index's forward earnings multiple), its stock price could jump to $186. That would be a 59% jump from current levels. So, investors can expect more upside from this AI stock going forward, which is why it would be a smart idea to consider buying it while it trades at attractive levels. Snowflake (NYSE: SNOW) share prices have jumped an impressive 64% in the past year despite bouts of volatility, and a closer look at the price chart will tell us that the stock has made a sharp move up in the past couple of months. Importantly, more upside in Snowflake stock cannot be ruled out, as fast-growing adoption of the company's AI-focused data cloud tools is helping it build a robust revenue pipeline for the future. Snowflake's data cloud platform enables customers to safely store their data in a single platform, which can then be used to derive insights and build applications. The company's AI-specific tools are now helping customers get more out of their data. They can apply large language models (LLMs) to their data to build applications such as AI agents, generative AI assistants, and search documents through natural language prompts, among other things. These offerings are turning out to be a hit among Snowflake customers, with nearly 45% of its 11,600-strong customer base using its AI tools every week in the previous quarter. Additionally, AI is helping Snowflake attract more customers. This is evident from the 19% year-over-year increase in its customer count in Q1 of fiscal 2026. This combination of an increase in Snowflake's customer base, along with the growing adoption of its AI tools, is the reason why its remaining performance obligations (RPO) increased by an impressive 34% year over year in the previous quarter to $6.7 billion, which was better than the 26% growth in its product revenue to just under $1 billion. The strong growth in its revenue pipeline encouraged management to increase its fiscal 2026 revenue guidance as well. What's more, Snowflake's earnings are expected to increase by a third in the current fiscal year to $1.10 per share. Consensus estimates project faster growth over the next couple of fiscal years. That won't be surprising, as Snowflake's ability to win more business from its existing customers and an improvement in its overall customer count should allow it to continue improving its revenue pipeline, especially considering that it sees its total addressable market growing to a whopping $342 billion in 2028. In all, Snowflake investors can expect more upside from this cloud stock following the impressive gains that it has delivered in the past year, driven by a new catalyst in the form of AI. Before you buy stock in Twilio, consider this: The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the for investors to buy now… and Twilio wasn't one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years. Consider when Netflix made this list on December 17, 2004... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $659,171!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $891,722!* Now, it's worth noting Stock Advisor's total average return is 995% — a market-crushing outperformance compared to 172% for the S&P 500. Don't miss out on the latest top 10 list, available when you join . See the 10 stocks » *Stock Advisor returns as of June 9, 2025 Harsh Chauhan has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Snowflake and Twilio. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. These Artificial Intelligence (AI) Stocks Are Quietly Outperforming the Market was originally published by The Motley Fool Sign in to access your portfolio
Yahoo
15 minutes ago
- Yahoo
RI's James Beard Award winner; Tiverton 'castle'; Devers trade: Top stories this week
Here are some of The Providence Journal's most-read stories for the week of June 15, supported by your subscriptions. Like many states, Rhode Island is struggling with a nursing shortage, with close to 1,300 openings in the first quarter of 2025, up from 980 in the fourth quarter of 2024. The reasons range from low wages compared with neighboring states, COVID burnout and a bottleneck in nursing school admissions. Nurses at Butler Hospital have been striking since mid-May, demanding better pay, increased staffing and safer working conditions, and nurses are organizing at Rhode Island Hospital. The Journal's Jonny Williams looks at what the state is doing to improve the situation. Need to catch up with the end-of-session whirlwind at the General Assembly? Here's our guide. The June 18 Providence Journal All-State Awards show recognized more than 300 first-team All-State athletes and awarded Player of the Year honors to more than 30 high school athletes, with remarks by guest speaker Clay Holstad, midfielder for Rhode Island FC. Here's our report on this marquee event event in Rhode Island high school sports. For more sports news, go to . Looking for reading material? Check out which books Rhode Island's top elected officials will be toting to the beach. It's part of our Summer Guide coverage, which also includes food editor Gail Ciampa's roundup of where to find the best adult beverages to chill out when the mercury rises. Keep reading for more Summer Guide suggestions below. Here are the week's top reads on Sky Haneul Kim, chef at Gift Horse in Providence, has been added to the prestigious list of local James Beard winners after being named Best Chef: Northeast at the 2025 James Beard Foundation Awards. The 35th Restaurant and Chef Award gala was held at the Lyric Opera of Chicago on June 16. The James Beard awards are considered the Oscars of the food world. Wins have been rare for Rhode Island restaurants, but Kim's victory makes her the third best chef winner from Rhode Island and the second in three years. In 2023, Sherry Pocknett and her Sly Fox Den Too restaurant in Charlestown took home the James Beard Foundation Award for Best Chef Northeast. The restaurant has since closed. Al Forno's Johanne Killeen and the late George Germon won the regional best chef award in 1993. Read Journal food editor Gail Ciampa's report from Chicago, including the three other Beard finalists from Rhode Island who fell just short. Food: A Providence chef joined the ranks of James Beard Award winners. See who took the honor In April, the newly elected Narragansett Town Council proposed more than a dozen amendments to zoning regulations to make it easier to build in town, seeking to roll back changes made by the previous Town Council that made it harder to build new housing and flew in the face of state zoning laws. But the sheer number of changes rattled residents and led to an effort to recall three members of the Town Council. The recall has, for the moment, been called off after the council decided to workshop the zoning amendments, but the threat of it still looms. That leaves the town's housing war simmering, as Narragansett's population gets older, enrollment in its schools drops and its existing housing gets more expensive. How long can the town afford to fight efforts to increase its housing stock? Political Scene looks at the issue from both camps. Political Scene: A new Town Council aimed to fix Narragansett's housing problems. They could face a recall The state Supreme Court on June 16 suspended for six months and a day longtime Rhode Island lawyer 's license to practice after an investigation in Massachusetts found that he gave a client bad information about immigration consequences. DiLibero advised a client that a plea deal would not have negative immigration consequences, despite it being an aggravated felony, making the client immediately deportable and permanently inadmissible to the United States and ineligible for citizenship. DiLibero then falsely claimed to have provided correct advice and failed to cooperate with the client's new lawyer. Read the full report for more details on the case. Courts: RI lawyer has license suspended for six months for 'incompetent' advice. Here's why. Sunday, June 15, brought yet another trade that should be reserved for lesser franchises in Major League Baseball, says Journal sportswriter Bill Koch. The Red Sox aren't supposed to be shipping out club cornerstones. But that's what happened on Sunday night, with the jaw-dropping news that Rafael Devers had been traded to the San Francisco Giants, immediately dampening what should have been a statement weekend at Fenway Park with Boston's sweep of the New York Yankees. The immediate losers in all this are the fans, says Koch. And he offers his look at what the ripple effects might be for the franchise, from ownership through the active roster. : Four big takeaways from the shocking Rafael Devers trade from Boston to San Francisco TIVERTON – A lot of people think "castle" when they see Todd and Deborah Martin's house set off in the woods on Lake Road, but Todd had a different medieval inspiration in mind when they added to what was already a one-of-a-kind residence. Think Heorot, the mead hall of legendary Danish King Hrothgar that comes under attack in the Anglo-Saxon epic poem "Beowulf." What started as a 32-foot-diameter round stone house in the woods, sans kitchen, has been transformed by the Martins with the addition of two wings, bringing it up to 5,564 square feet and incorporating salvaged building materials from the 1870s through the 1920s. Check out the full story, including a gallery of the finished house, which is being showcased on the Zillow Gone Wild Instagram page. Real estate: Dreaming of living in a castle in the woods? A Tiverton house could make it come true To read the full stories, go to Find out how to subscribe here. This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Providence James Beard Award winner; Tiverton 'castle'; Devers trade
