49ers pregame report: No. 23 Christian McCaffrey to make his debut

SANTA CLARA — Christian McCaffrey indeed will make his 49ers’ debut today, ideally as both a rusher and a receiving target, just two days after his trade from the Carolina Panthers became official.

McCaffrey will wear No. 23 when the 49ers (3-3) host the Kansas City Chiefs (4-2).

The 49ers agreed Thursday night to send four draft picks — second-, third- and fourth-rounders in 2023; fifth-rounder in 2024 — to Carolina, which received heated interest from the 49ers’ NFC West rival Los Angeles. The Rams reportedly offered a similar package minus the fourth-round pick, FOX reported this morning.

Upon arriving Friday at 49ers HQ, McCaffrey said he “couldn’t be more fired up to be here” and that he would study “as much as humanly possible” to get ready for today’s potential debut.

“The good thing about the game being Sunday is you still have two days so you can process a lot in two days and hopefully be ready to go,” McCaffrey, a former Stanford star, said Friday. “It’s my job to learn as much as humanly possible the next two days and get ready to play a football game.”

The 49ers’ offense will welcome left tackle Trent Williams back from a three-game absence he used to recover from a high-ankle sprain. Other targets available for quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo are Deebo Samuel, Brandon Aiyuk, George Kittle and Jeff Wilson Jr., the latter of whom likely will share backfield duties with McCaffrey.

“They have probably one of the best run games and one of the most explosives offenses in the league, you go down the roster and you look at all the guys, that’s the thing I’m most excited about: getting in the locker room and meeting the guys,” McCaffrey said. “How could you not want to play here as an offensive weapon? I’m extremely fired up.”

McCaffrey’s appearance will come as no surprise to Chiefs coach Andy Reid.

“We know he’s a talented guy and I’m sure they’ll work him in,” Reid told reporters Friday. “We’re expecting that. You prepare for what he does well and Kyle will use him in what he does well I’m sure.”

Reid compared McCaffrey’s in-season acquisition to that of Emmanuel Sanders three seasons ago.

“(McCaffrey) has been playing. He’s smart,” Reid said. “When they brought in the receiver (Sanders) he jumped in and played 80 percent to 90 percent of the snaps. You can get a guy ready.”

HEALTHY FOR A CHANGE

Safety Talanoa Hufanga (concussion) and Charvarius “Mooney” Ward were both active after being listed as questionable. Hufanga came in Monday morning with concussion symptoms and spent the week working through the league-mandated protocol. Ward left the 49ers’ loss in Atlanta last week with a groin strain.

As expected, the 49ers have defensive end Nick Bosa active and ready to play after being inactive in Atlanta with a groin strain. Williams, who missed three games, returns at left tackle. Safety Jimmie Ward is also active and prepared to play with a fitted cast on his broken hand.

CHIEFS SHIFT CHANGE

Chiefs’ rookie Isiah Pacheco will start at running back in place of third-year veteran Clyde Edwards-Helaire, NFL Network reported Sunday morning.

INACTIVE 49ERS

Defensive lineman Arik Armstead is out for the fourth time in five games as he deals with plantar fasciitis in his foot. Armstead likely hasn’t been placed on injured reserve because of the 49ers’ depth on the line to help cover for his absence and to not spend one of their eight short-term IR spots on him. Also inactive were tight end Tyler Croft, offensive lineman Nick Zakelj, defensive lineman Kemoko Turay, running back Jordan Mason and cornerback Dontae Johnson.

Johnson was brought up from the practice squad on Saturday in case Charvarius Ward was unable to go.

BY HONORED

Former 49ers defensive lineman Bryan Young will be honored in a halftime ceremony as the Pro Football Hall of Fame presents him his ring from this past summer’s induction.

JOE MONTANA CAPTAIN

Today’s honorary captain is Joe Montana, who famously won four Super Bowl titles with the 49ers before they traded him in 1993 to the Kansas City Chiefs, where he played the final two seasons of his Pro Football Hall of Fame career.