Over the years, the running back position has seemingly lost its importance in NFL offenses. While it also seems to be making a comeback, some running backs have been able to dispel that theory all by themselves.
One of those has been Christian McCaffrey, who has been an elite player since his days at Carolina.
That's part of the reason the 49ers traded for him back in 2022 in the middle of the season.
McCaffrey reinforced his elite status with San Francisco in 2023 by leading the league with 1,459 rushing yards while adding 14 touchdowns. He was selected to the Pro Bowl and won Offensive Player of the Year, was elected to First-Team All-Pro and finished third in MVP voting.
But then came 2024, and his elite status was questioned ... because of his health.
ESPN's Jeremy Fowler thinks McCaffrey's elite status is affected by his lack of durability.
"Durability is the one thing holding McCaffrey back," writes Fowler. "He has missed 10 or more games in three of his past five NFL seasons. 'He's a great player, but he's always had durability issues, even in college,' an NFL personnel executive said. 'He's an elite trainer and takes great care of himself. He's just not a big body and will lose a step eventually.' A return to 2023 form would put McCaffrey back in the MVP conversation. When he's healthy, he always produces.
"In fact, McCaffrey has four seasons with at least 1,800 scrimmage yards and 10 touchdowns. The only players with more are all Hall of Famers: Tomlinson, Marshall Faulk, Emmitt Smith and Walter Payton (five each)."
McCaffrey hasn't yet hit 30 years old, but there's already evidence of his body breaking down after years of hard hits.
And that's bad news for the 49ers.