Olivia Culpo had a front row seat to watch her husband Christian McCaffrey return to action against the 49ers on Sunday.
The 32-year-old Sports Illustrated Swimsuit alum was the starting running back against the Buccaneers in Tampa after being sidelined for several months due to calf issues and Achilles tendonitis during the preseason. I watched his progress.
Culpo, who married McCaffrey in a lavish ceremony in Rhode Island over the summer, attended the game with friends, including Claire Kittle, wife of 49ers tight end George Kittle.
McCaffrey rushed for 39 yards in San Francisco's 23-20 win.
The 49ers are 5-4 this season.
Sunday's return was a long time coming for the 28-year-old McCaffrey.
In the days leading up to the Week 10 matchup, 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan said McCaffrey was “ready to go.”
“I feel kind of good. He's had a good two days…he's been great the last two days,” Shanahan said Thursday on KNBR's “Tolbert & Copes.”
“Hopefully things continue to go well and I'm looking forward to getting him out there. You never know what's going to happen, setbacks and all that, but the last two days have been great. , I expect to see him on the field.”
McCaffrey, currently the Offensive Player of the Year, rushed for 1,459 yards and 14 touchdowns in 2023, along with 564 receiving yards and seven touchdowns.
McCaffrey made his first Super Bowl appearance in February, when San Francisco lost to the defending champion Chiefs 25-22 in overtime.
Culpo, who has been by McCaffrey's side since 2019 when he was a member of the Panthers, posted a heartfelt message for the three-time Pro Bowler following the devastating loss.
“Thank you God for a healthy season and for putting my best friend on this earth,” she wrote on Instagram at the time.
The 49ers, currently in second place in the NFC West, host the rival Seahawks (4-5) next Sunday.
