San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey during an NFL game.
Christian McCaffrey’s influence reached beyond the 49ers again this week when Falcons star Bijan Robinson said he feels “better than ever” and credited his offseason training work with San Francisco’s All-Pro running back. Robinson said at the start of Atlanta’s offseason program that this is the best he has felt in his time with the Falcons, and he pointed to the work he has done with McCaffrey as a big reason why.
That matters to 49ers fans for more than one reason. It is another reminder that McCaffrey is still viewed as a model for the league’s elite dual-threat backs, and it comes at a time when San Francisco is trying to protect exactly what makes him so valuable. After a massive 2025 comeback season, the 49ers have already made it clear they do not want to put the same workload on him again in 2026.
Bijan Robinson made clear what Christian McCaffrey gave him
This is not the first time Robinson has talked openly about what he gained from McCaffrey. Last summer, the Falcons back said McCaffrey’s “recovery is top notch” and explained that their work together was not just about grinding through reps. It was also about knowing how to get the body back to 100 percent before the next session. Robinson said McCaffrey taught him nuanced moves on the field, and he called the experience two players coming together to make each other better.
Robinson echoed that theme again this week. In Atlanta’s new offseason comments, he said he and McCaffrey put in serious work but were also careful not to over-tax their bodies, stressing the value of recovery alongside training. Robinson then added the line that jumps out most: this is the best he has felt since arriving in Atlanta.
For a 49ers audience, that is the real hook. McCaffrey is not just producing. He is shaping how another top back approaches the job.
Why the 49ers should care about this now
McCaffrey is coming off one of the heaviest seasons of his career. According to reporting on Kyle Shanahan’s comments, McCaffrey logged 2,126 yards from scrimmage and 17 total touchdowns in 2025 while handling a career-high 413 touches, a season that helped him earn AP Comeback Player of the Year honors.
That workload also created the next question for San Francisco: how do the 49ers keep him explosive for another full season?
Shanahan’s answer, at least publicly, has been straightforward. The 49ers want more help behind McCaffrey so he can stay at his best over the course of the season. That makes Robinson’s comments especially relevant. The same recovery habits and training discipline that helped another star back feel fresher are the same traits San Francisco needs McCaffrey to lean on as he moves toward his age-30 season.
So while this is technically a Falcons quote, the subtext is very 49ers-specific: McCaffrey’s value is not only what he does on Sundays. It is also the professional standard he has built around the position.
McCaffrey is still setting the bar for modern running backs
Robinson’s admiration is also notable because the comparison between the two has existed for a while. Falcons reporting last year explicitly connected Robinson’s role to the “Christian McCaffrey type” blueprint, and Robinson himself said he had started envisioning a career like McCaffrey’s.
That is about as strong a compliment as a running back can receive in today’s NFL. McCaffrey remains the prototype for a player who can handle volume, create mismatches, and function as a focal point in both the run and pass game. When Robinson says McCaffrey’s regimen changed how he approaches training and recovery, it reinforces the idea that McCaffrey still holds a unique place in the league’s running back hierarchy.
For the 49ers, that is both a compliment and a responsibility. The more McCaffrey is viewed as the gold standard, the more important it becomes for San Francisco to manage him correctly. His 2025 season proved he could still carry a huge load. The challenge now is making sure he does not have to carry all of it again.