Given the ridiculous amount of injuries the San Francisco 49ers have been forced to suffer through, the fact that Kyle Shanahan & Co. are 2-0 through the first two weeks of this young 2025 campaign is absolutely astounding.
Okay, so their victories didn't exactly come against the elite of the elite, as they took down a new-look Seattle Seahawks team still trying to find its identity and a hapless New Orleans Saints squad that will be lucky to reach five wins this year. And it's not as if the Niners won either game in a walk, beating Seattle by four and the Saints by five.
But wins are wins. And one of the biggest (and most obvious) reasons why San Francisco is 2-0 right now is the stellar play of Christian McCaffrey, who's ironically one of the healthiest players on the 49ers' roster.
As everyone has known for years now, when healthy, CMC is easily one of the most dangerous and versatile offensive weapons in the league, which is precisely what he's been these first couple of weeks. And if he continues playing the way he has, not only should he be a lock to win Comeback Player of the Year, but he could very well take Offensive Player of the Year for the second time in three seasons.
McCaffrey has always been a dual-threat type of back, but he's been showcasing that aforementioned versatility more than ever. Coming into the season, just under 59 percent of his total yards from scrimmage throughout his career have come on the ground, with the other 41 coming as a receiver.
This year, however, it's basically a 50-50 split, as he's gained 124 rushing yards on 35 carries and 125 receiving yards on 15 receptions. Once pass-catching stars George Kittle and Brandon Aiyuk return, one would assume the rushing numbers will once again outweigh the receiving figures, but McCaffrey being able to provide another set of hands to quarterbacks Brock Purdy or Mac Jones is obviously a nice option to have.
With his 249 combined yards on the year, the three-time Pro Bowler currently ranks fourth in the league in total yards from scrimmage, trailing only Jonathan Taylor (313), Bijan Robinson (292), and Puka Nacua (267). Naturally, some are a bit concerned with McCaffrey being overused, given his injury history. And he does lead the NFL in touches thus far with 50.
But, if he's going to be in uniform, that's just what has to happen, and he's certainly never one who will ask Shanahan to rest.
McCaffrey has twice led the NFL in touches, first in 2019 with the Carolina Panthers, and again in 2023 in his first full season in San Francisco. And do you know what else happened in those two seasons? He led the league in total yards from scrimmage, surpassing the 2,000-yard mark each time, going for a career-high 2,392 in 2019 with the Panthers and 2,023 in 2023 (numbers are fun) with the Niners.
For those scoring at home, if he continues the pace he's on now and plays all 17 games, he'll end the season with 2,117 yards.
Heading into Week 3, McCaffrey is the current betting favorite at DraftKings to win Comeback Player of the Year at +180, leading Dak Prescott (+220), Aidan Hutchinson (+475), Daniel Jones (+700), and Trevor Lawrence (+1000). He also sits in a tie for fifth with CeeDee Lamb in the Offensive Player of the Year odds at +1300, trailing Derrick Henry (+600), Saquon Barkley (+850), Bijan Robinson (+850), and Puka Nacua (+1100).
McCaffrey will attempt to keep things rolling when the Niners welcome the Arizona Cardinals to Levi's Stadium for their home opener this Sunday afternoon.