Christian McCaffrey's Workload To Be Dialed Back?
Christian McCaffrey. Elijah Mitchell, their top backup, missed six games in another injury-riddled season, and McCaffrey was simply too good to take off the field. CMC led the league with 1,459 rushing yards -- 292 more than the next best RB. His 21 TDs tied for the league lead and he also added 564 receiving yards, which ranked fourth on the 49ers. His 339 total touches were the second-most of his career. McCaffrey's efforts earned him Offensive Player of the Year honors and a two-year extension. The Niners would love a repeat performance in 2024, but perhaps with less wear and tear. A healthy Mitchell would help them accomplish that. "We have to protect Christian from himself. He doesn't like to ever come out no matter what the situation is and I do think that's something we could protect him with more," head coach Kyle Shanahan said.
Source: The Athletic - Matt Barrows and David Lombardi
No NFL running back played a higher percentage of his team's offensive snaps last year than San Francisco 49ers RB Source: The Athletic - Matt Barrows and David Lombardi
Christian McCaffrey Is Healthy
Christian McCaffrey (knee) is "healthy and doing great" this offseason. Despite playing in just four games in 2024 due to Achilles and knee injuries, McCaffrey said back in January that he was close to 100 percent and probably would have played if the team had advanced to the playoffs. The 28-year-old do-it-all back averaged a mediocre 4.0 yards per carry on his 50 rushing attempts in 2024. Jordan Mason was traded to the Minnesota Vikings this offseason, and although CMC is still the team's unquestioned lead back when healthy, it's possible that Isaac Guerendo could see more complementary work in the backfield in 2025. McCaffrey surely won't be the No. 1 overall fantasy pick this fall after being the biggest bust in 2024, but although there's plenty of injury risk, the upside will still make him hard to pass up as a high-end RB1.
Source: San Jose Mercury News
San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan said that running back Source: San Jose Mercury News
49ers Think Christian McCaffrey Will Participate In "Parts" Of Offseason Program
Christian McCaffrey (knee) is "doing great" and that he thinks the star RB will be able to participate in "at least parts" of the offseason program. McCaffrey was a bust at the top of fantasy drafts last fall, as he played in just four games in 2024. He missed the first two months with bilateral Achilles tendinitis and then suffered a season-ending PCL injury on Dec. 1 in the loss to the Buffalo Bills. The 28-year-old's fantasy stock will take a hit in 2025 because of his injury-plagued season, but it's hard to forget that he has rushed for 2,407 yards and 20 rushing touchdowns while catching 134 passes for 1,174 yards and 11 receiving touchdowns in 31 games since he joined San Fran midway through the 2022 season. If healthy, CMC can be a league-winner, but the injury risk is very high.
Source: Pro Football Talk - Myles Simmons
San Francisco 49ers general manager John Lynch said on Wednesday at the NFL Combine that running back Source: Pro Football Talk - Myles Simmons
Christian McCaffrey "Definitely Close" To Being Fully Recovered
Christian McCaffrey (knee) said he's "definitely close" to fully recovered from the knee injury that ended his 2024 season early. McCaffrey told ESPN's Nick Wagoner he would have been able to return had the team made the postseason, but instead, he'll continue to rehab and expects to be ready for organized team activities in the spring. The 28-year-old was specifically dealing with a PCL injury in his right knee that caused him to miss the last five games of the year, but a calf strain and bilateral Achilles tendinitis led to CMC not making his 2024 debut until Week 10. The All-Pro RB was the biggest fantasy bust of the year without question, so his health will be closely watched heading into training camp in the summer. While McCaffrey's lengthy injury history will keep him from being a top pick in the first round in 2025, he's still deserving of first-round consideration.
Source: ESPN.com - Nick Wagoner
San Francisco 49ers running back Source: ESPN.com - Nick Wagoner
49ers Officially Place Christian McCaffrey On Injured Reserve
Christian McCaffrey (knee) on Injured Reserve on Tuesday, which means he'll be forced to miss at least the next four games. However, McCaffrey suffered a PCL sprain in his right knee in the Sunday night loss to the Buffalo Bills and is expected to need at least six weeks of recovery time. It means that unless the 49ers pick things up and make a run to the postseason, CMC's injury-plagued 2024 campaign will come to an end. Jordan Mason (ankle) is also on IR with a high-ankle sprain, which will force rookie Isaac Guerendo into the team's lead-back role for at least the next four weeks. With CMC officially on IR, fantasy managers can drop him in redraft leagues. The 28-year-old was a huge bust for fantasy managers this year. He didn't make his season debut until Week 10 due to bilateral Achilles tendonitis and ended up playing in just four games in 2024.
Source: ESPN - Adam Schefter
The San Francisco 49ers officially placed running back Source: ESPN - Adam Schefter
Read More News