For superstar running back Christian McCaffrey, 2024 was a lost season.
He stayed active for just four games in the middle of the year after dealing with Achilles and knee troubles. ... and spend more time chasing remedies than he did chasing touchdowns.
What has changed?
Hopefully, a lot. And for the better.
"I think this offseason I spent a lot of time kind of building back a base, starting from scratch," McCaffrey said at the close of the San Francisco 49ers minicamp, their last official work before the start of training camp in late July. "So, a lot of it was rehab, and I wanted to put myself in a position where I didn't miss a day of OTAs and I could practice, play football again, be healthy and not miss a day.
"And I did that, and now we can kind of kick back up the training again. But I feel great."
McCaffrey, 29, has played less than 10 games in half of the seasons he's been in the league. But assuming good health going forward? The insiders at NinersNation suggest that his "workload will be exactly the same in 2025 as it was in his previous two healthy seasons with the 49ers.''
If that prediction is right? McCaffrey is a threat for a 2,000-total-yards season.
Along the way, he's learned some things about how to progress here.
"I've had a lot of people tell me as you get older you need to do less. I think there's a middle ground with that statement," McCaffrey said. "For me, it's kind of a constant evaluation of where your body's at and what you need.
"You put a lot of trust in other people -- your trainer, your treatment people, people at the facility. If you follow their plans and you like where it's going and you start to feel good, you're constantly evaluating where you're at and trusting the whole offseason process."
McCaffrey's effort is unquestioned, as head coach Kyle Shanahan recently noted.
“Christian is,'' the coach said, "is a psycho in a good way.''
McCaffrey earned Offensive Player of the Year honors two seasons ago in powering the 49ers to the Super Bowl. And now? There is optimism that the "psycho'' is about to be all the way back.