The San Francisco 49ers are approaching Christian McCaffrey‘s season with measured optimism after his injury-plagued 2024 campaign.
The All-Pro running back dealt with an Achilles issue that sidelined him for months, followed by a PCL injury when he returned to action.
Now fully healthy and participating in training camp, McCaffrey has looked like the dynamic force who won Offensive Player of the Year two seasons ago.
Questions about workload management have followed the 29-year-old throughout the offseason, and he recently addressed those concerns.
“There’s what’s talked about and then there’s what’s true, and in our world with phones and social media, what’s true is rarely what’s talked about. I started the season with a pretty bad Achilles tendinitis last year, that was pretty miserable. I didn’t need less touches, that happened before the season started. … Then I banged my knee up, I think, it was in the first quarter. That wasn’t cause I had a lot of touches in that game. Football is football man, and playing running back is tough. I play hard, I try to give my best every single play. I’ve dealt with some unfortunate injuries in my career, but I’ve also had a lot of success. I’ve had seasons where I’ve had 400-plus touches and 2,300 yards and felt great after. So, it just depends on the year and how you’re feeling,” McCaffrey said, via KNBR.
Niners fans have speculated as to whether Christian McCaffrey's injury issues are connected to the amount of touches he gets. RB1 says no way.
"There's what's talked about and then there's what's true … and what's true is rarely what's talked about."
[via @JDJohnDickinson &… pic.twitter.com/ponOUCSi0t
— KNBR (@KNBR) August 1, 2025
Head coach Kyle Shanahan has confirmed McCaffrey is fully cleared for all activities.
The 49ers are managing his training camp reps similarly to 2023, when he produced 2,023 scrimmage yards and 21 touchdowns.
San Francisco has added depth to the backfield with rookie Jordan James and veteran Ameer Abdullah joining Isaac Guerendo and Patrick Taylor Jr.
Though none threaten McCaffrey’s starting role, they give coaches flexibility in managing his touches.
Newly promoted offensive coordinator Klay Kubiak plans to utilize McCaffrey’s versatility while distributing carries among multiple players.
With the season opener drawing closer, McCaffrey appears explosive and ready to return to his dominant form.
The organization believes its cautious approach will pay dividends when games matter most.
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