Christian McCaffrey runs with the power of a bull and the grace of a deer. His legs, if they hold, can turn the tide of a season and a game. But the legs do not always hold.
Last year, they did not. This year, he says they will. The men in the San Francisco 49ers’ red and gold hope he is right. Without him, the march would be longer, the sun would be hotter, and their goal would be farther away.
As Christian McCaffrey Goes, So Go the 49ers
In 2023, he played all 16 games, led the NFL with 2,023 yards from scrimmage, and scored 21 touchdowns. That was before the tendons gave out again.
But Nick Wright of First Things First on FS1 is easy as casting shade on the situation.
“Okay, Christian McCaffrey is a perpetually injured awesome player. Like, that’s who he is,” Wright said. “He is now only older and only more wear and tear on the body after last year.”
He’s not wrong on paper — McCaffrey has missed 37 games since 2020. But the 49ers didn’t blink when it came to trading for him. They sent four draft picks — second, third, and fourth-rounders in 2023, plus a fifth in 2024 — to Carolina for McCaffrey. Kyle Shanahan knew what he was getting: a back who could run inside zone, catch angle routes, line up in the slot, pick up blitzes, and still take 20 carries up the gut.
The 49ers know this. They know that the offense hums like a finely tuned engine with McCaffrey on the field. In 2023, they averaged 28.9 points per game. Without him last season, that number fell to 20.3. They finished 6-11, the rhythm vanished, drives stalled, and the backfield turned to dust.
But now, McCaffrey is back. “Full speed,” he says. He’s 29, older than most feature backs, but not gone. Not yet.
He’s crossed 10,000 career scrimmage yards, 6,387 rushing, 4,466 receiving, and 81 total touchdowns. When he plays, he is everything — RB1, WR2, safety valve, and sledgehammer. In the playoffs, he has 522 rushing yards and nine touchdowns in seven games. The moment is never too big; only the body is uncertain.
The Niners will certainly be hoping that the body holds for at least another while. The NFC West won’t be a walk in the park in 2025. The Los Angeles Rams will bring a loaded roster to the party, and the Seattle Seahawks can never be overlooked. With QB Brock Purdy running Shanahan’s offense again, San Francisco looks to return to its formative years.