By all indications, San Francisco 49ers superstar Christian McCaffrey appears ready to restake his claim as the best running back in football. The bilateral Achilles tendinitis issues and sprained PCL that limited him to four games last season are ostensibly a thing of the past. Even the team's head coach, Kyle Shanahan, is buying the hype, perhaps to a fault.
During a recent cameo on KNBR's Dirty Work podcast, Shanahan sang McCaffrey's praises. The former went on the record to say that the latter is primed for a "hell of a year." Typically, that'd be music to the 49er Faithful's ears, though the current circumstances in the Bay Area give it a more negative ring.
McCaffrey, 29, looks no worse for wear in Shanahan's eyes after missing most of 2024 with concerning ailments. However, as fans know, the 2023 Offensive Player of the Year has an extensive injury history beyond the previous campaign. Knowing this, San Francisco isn't scot-free yet, especially with the dreaded age threshold for tailback decline rapidly approaching, so they should tread lightly.
Kyle Shanahan, 49ers might want to pump the brakes on unleashing Christian McCaffrey
"I like to watch how a guy moves and how he is out there, and I see [McCaffrey] looking the same as he always has looked," Shanahan declared. "So, I don’t really think about that number when it comes to that case. Now, if he started looking different, then I’d probably start questioning some things, and then I’d probably be looking at how old he is or look at that 30 thing. But Christian gives us no reason to think that. He came in healthy this year. He had a hell of an offseason."
It's encouraging that McCaffrey has seemingly returned to form. Nonetheless, that doesn't mean the Niners should immediately throw him back in the fire. Shanahan echoes a similar sentiment when discussing the addition of veteran runner Brian Robinson Jr., so he's at least cognizant of this. Yet, given the uncertainty surrounding the rest of San Fran's supporting cast, unleashing CMC may be the only choice.
The 49ers' receiver room is currently in absolute shambles. Their 2024 first-round pick, Ricky Pearsall, is the only one to catch a pass from Brock Purdy last year who isn't hurt. The quarterback's top target, Jauan Jennings, is in a messy contractual dispute while tending to a calf problem. 2023 All-Pro Brandon Aiyuk won't be back until mid-October at the earliest. Things have gotten so dire that San Fran acquired ex-Kansas City Chiefs flameout Skyy Moore.
Until Jennings' situation is resolved and/or Aiyuk returns, Purdy can count his trusted weapons (or lack thereof) on the fingers of one hand. It's McCaffrey, Pearsall and All-Pro tight end George Kittle. Nevertheless, Shanahan must toe the line and find a balance between putting too much on his do-it-all running back.