SANTA CLARA >> Christian McCaffrey was officially listed as questionable Friday, but there’s not much question he’ll be on be back on the field Sunday for the 49ers after the resumption of their bye week.

Assuming nothing dramatic happens on the charter flight from San Jose to Tampa, the NFL’s 2023 offensive player of the year will make his debut on the road for the 49ers (4-4) against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4-5).

Coach Kyle Shanahan hinted as much on his radio spot Thursday on KNBR-680, with the caveat that there be no setbacks, and it was no different the following day as the 49ers were packing up for a team flight after the resumption of their bye week.

“We’ll take him off I.R. (today) and he should be good to go,” Shanahan said. “He had a good week.”

McCaffrey and other key players were present during the 49ers’ brief practice viewing window.

Also listed as questionable for the 49ers were wide receivers Deebo Samuel (oblique, rib) and Jauan Jennings (hip), defensive end Nick Bosa (hip), safety Malik Mustapha (calf) and offensive lineman Jon Feliciano (knee).

Wide receiver Chris Conley (hamstring), defensive linemen Kevin Givens (groin) and Yetur Gross-Matos (knee) and cornerback Charvarius Ward (bereavement) are listed as out.

The 49ers will remove McCaffrey from injured reserve, where he’s been since Week 2 with Achilles tendinitis, and place him on the 53-man roster today. That will necessitate the 49ers releasing a player from the roster. If Feliciano goes from I.R. to the 53-man, then a second player will be released.

McCaffrey, after getting in a workout and packing his bag for Tampa, talked with the local media for about four minutes. He declined to get into specifics of his treatment, including a trip to Germany where he reportedly received something similar to plasma-rich platelet (PRP) injections to speed healing.

“I keep all that stuff private,” McCaffrey said. “When you’re on I.R. and you’re hurt, you’ll do anything to come back. I’m feeling good now and that’s all that matters.”

McCaffrey returned to practice Monday following the bye, then on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday as well with no ill effects.

“I wouldn’t be out here if it was still bothering me,” McCaffrey said. “I feel great.”

Shanahan said on two occasions McCaffrey was being placed on I.R. “to protect him from himself” and the running back conceded it was the proper strategy.

“Sometimes you need people in your corner that can look after you and maybe they know what’s best for you when there are times when you want to suck it up and do something that might be risky,” McCaffrey said.

The process, McCaffrey said, was arduous and difficult both physically and mentally.

“It can be dark sometimes,” McCaffrey said. “Having to watch games, you’re physically in pain .... . . a lot goes into it. I think about football pretty much every day of my life. It consumes about 98% of my life. When it doesn’t go right, it can be very tough.

“All I know is it makes you realize how blessed and fortunate you are when you’re on the field.”

Left to be determined is whether McCaffrey will start, and even more important how much he’ll play after having not been in a game since last Feb. 11 in a 25-22 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LVIII in Las Vegas.

In McCaffrey’s absence, the 49ers are averaging 159 rushing yards per game — fourth in the NFL and 25.1 yards per game more than a year ago through eight games. McCaffrey had 137 carries and 652 yards rushing through those games en route to an NFL-high 1,459, with Jordan Mason having 134 carries and 685 yards in eight games this season.

The big difference is in the scoring touchdowns and in the red zone. McCaffrey had 13 touchdowns (9 rushing, 4 receiving) in the first eight games, 11 of those coming in the red zone. He also had 32 catches for 292 yards, while four 49ers running backs — Kyle Juszczyk (11), Mason (10), Isaac Guerendo (4) and Patrick Taylor Jr. (1) — have combined for 26 catches over the same span.

Through eight games this season without McCaffrey, the 49ers are ranked 28th in scoring touchdowns in the red zone (16 of 33) at 48.4%. A year ago through eight games with McCaffrey in the lineup, the 49ers were at 65.6% (21 of 32) en route to a league-leading 68%.

MOURNING FOR WARD >> General Manager John Lynch represented the 49ers, as did director of player engagement Austin Moss and pastor Earl Smith, in Dallas at services for Amani Joi Ward, the 23-month old daughter of 49ers cornerback Charvarius Ward.

“I got to FaceTime with Mooney yesterday,” Shanahan said. “Lynch got to be at the service, I talked to him earlier today after it ended. It was a great service. He had a hell of a eulogy that he did and he was very appreciative of everyone’s support throughout all this.”

KEEPING VEA AT BAY >> Tampa Bay nose tackle Vita Vea is listed at 6-foot-4 and 347 pounds. Jake Brendel, who has experience dealing with the former Milpitas High star, is skeptical.

“It’s always a challenge when you play a guy that’s approaching 400 pounds,” the 49ers center said Thursday.

Vea is a challenge for a 49ers offensive line that depends on agility, angles and leverage rather than brute force under the instruction of run game coordinator/line coach Chris Foerster. And Vea, in his sixth season after being a first-round draft pick out of Washington, is rare in that he does more than plug gaps with bulk and power.

When Vea was at Milpitas and a mere 280 pounds, he was a two-way player who also gained 578 yards and scored 11 touchdowns as a senior, averaging 12.3 yards per carry.

Foerster recalls seeing Vea with his teammates showing off his rare athleticism.

“What’s that game where they kick the bag around? Hacky sack,” Foerster said. “He looks like a middle schooler playing hacky sack. He’s 350 pounds, kicking it in the air. It’s unbelievable how good he is. Very agile for such a big, gigantic man.”

Vea is coming off a 10-tackle, two-sack game Monday night against Kansas City. The Buccaneers don’t put him exclusively over center, although he’ll likely spend most of his snaps there. Brendel, right guard Dominick Puni and left guard Aaron Banks will all be challenged.

Brendel said the only player who compares in terms of size is Giants’ All-Pro Dexter Lawrence, listed at 6-4, 350.

“He’s definitely fast-twitch for how big he is,” Brendel said. “The guys to the left and right do a great job playing behind him and he’s really good in their scheme.”

As for the challenge of actually tackling Vea as a high school player, Brendel said, “All I would do is if was on defense was try to take the wheels off the bus. I mean, still that’s a lot of meat carrying the ball.”

NOTABLE >> Bosa hasn’t done much this week at practice and Shanahan said there is mild concern about how he’ll be Sunday. The injury occurred earlier this week.

“He definitely was extremely limited,” Shanahan said. “Hoping he’ll be all right, but we’ll see on Sunday.”

• Safety Malik Mustapha’s calf injury could mean Tashaun Gipson, the veteran free safety who started in 2022-23, could be a practice squad promotion for the Bucs game.

“He’s done awesome this week in his three days,” Shanahan said. “We’ll discuss that with him over these next 24 hours. He looks good enough to do it. Just kind of depends on the health of everyone else.”

• Placekicker Jake Moody will resume his duties after sustaining a high ankle sprain to his kicking leg making a tackle on a kickoff return in Week 5 against Arizona.

“I was surprised he came back by now, but he’s looked great this week and it’s been awesome to have him back,” Shanahan said.