First Call: Christian McCaffrey's 'former teammate' slip about Brandon Aiyuk; former Steeler DL has new AFC home

Pittsburgh Steelers fans may want to take note of something Christian McCaffrey said about 49ers teammate Brandon Aiyuk.

Fantasy football players may want to take note of some injury news for McCaffrey.

Plus, there is some clarity about the passing of former Steeler Jacoby Jones. And Ex-Steeler Jonathan Marshall has a new home.

All that in Wednesday’s “First Call.”

Did I hear that right?

Was this a Freudian slip? Or is it just a slip of the tongue?

San Francisco 49ers star running back Christian McCaffrey was on NFL Network’s “Inside Training Camp Live” on Tuesday. During his interview, when asked about Brandon Aiyuk’s looming trade conversations, he referenced Aiyuk as a “former teammate” before working to correct himself.

“For me, I don’t deal with it. That’s not part of my job, that’s not part of my position,” McCaffrey said. “Obviously as a former teammate, or, you know, teammate of his in general — any teammate that you have, you love, you respect them. We always wish the best for any of our teammates, whether they’re here or not. Obviously, we hope he’s here. It’s a tough part of the business.”

???? Christian McCaffrey refers to Brandon Aiyuk as a "former teammate"

h/t @StatsOnFire #49ers pic.twitter.com/RUtiFjt6aU

— Kevin Krueger (@kevinkruegs) August 6, 2024

If you watch the clip, I think you can see what McCaffery might have been trying to get at by dismissing the question with a generic, non-answer answer.

Or he knows that Aiyuk is as good as gone, and the truth came out by accident.

It’s probably the former. Like most Steelers fans, though, I’ll hope it’s the latter.

Unless Aiyuk is going to Cleveland.

Then, let’s hope McCaffery just tripped on his own words.

Meanwhile …

While we’re on the topic of McCaffrey, he’s not going to participate in preseason games. He’s also not going to be practicing for the next few weeks.

That is coming straight from 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan.

#49ers RB Christian McCaffrey has a calf strain. He is unlikely to participate in this preseason, per Kyle Shanahan.

He's likely to miss a couple of weeks of practice, also.

— Nick Wagoner (@nwagoner) August 6, 2024

Let me guess. Was he hitting a sled like Russell Wilson?

The 28-year-old NFL Offensive Player of the Year finished 2023 with 272 carries for an NFL-leading 1,459 rushing yards and 14 touchdowns. He also caught 67 passes for 564 yards and seven touchdowns. That was good for an NFL-best 2,023 yards and 21 touchdowns from scrimmage.

New address

Former Steelers defensive tackle Jonathan Marshall signed on with the Jacksonville Jaguars’ 90-man roster Tuesday. The Steelers released him at the end of July.

Marshall was on the Steelers’ practice squad all of last year, but never got elevated to the active roster.

The Steelers drafted second-round pick Keeanu Benton along the defensive front last year. Plus they decided to retain the likes of Montravius Adams and Breiden Fehoko during the offseason. Those are three guys eating up roster spots at a position that doesn’t get a ton of snaps in the first place.

Coming out of the 2021 draft, Marshall was a sixth-round selection by the New York Jets. The Steelers signed him from the Jets’ practice squad in December 2022.

Marshall is now listed behind Arik Armstead, Roy Robertson-Harris, Esezi Otomewo and Maason Smith on the Jags’ defensive tackle depth chart.

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Information about Jacoby Jones

The cause of death for former Steeler Jacoby Jones has been revealed.

The retired kick return specialist died in his sleep at his home in New Orleans on July 14. Via TMZ Sports Tuesday, a medical examiner has stated that Jones died of natural causes.

It’s been ruled that hypertensive cardiovascular disease (heart disease resulting from the effects of long-term high blood pressure issues) is what resulted in Jones’ sudden passing. He was 40 years old.

Via ProFootballtalk.com, Jones was slated to become the head coach and offensive coordinator of the Beaumont Renegades, an indoor football expansion franchise set to begin play in 2025.

Over nine NFL seasons, Jones was on five teams. He was a Steeler for the 2015 campaign. Jones is perhaps best known for his 108-yard kickoff return for a touchdown against the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl XLVII. He was also an All-Pro that season.