It’s no accident the 49ers had trouble in the red zone last season with McCaffrey unable to dent the end zone. Any hope they have of reclaiming the NFC West and becoming a factor in the postseason rests with a return of the McCaffrey of old and not an “old” McCaffrey.

Christian McCaffrey isn't built like a workhorse, but he has been used like one since college. At Stanford, they gave 731 touches in 38 games -- almost 20 per game. And that was before players could get paid.

There were many reasons why the San Francisco 49ers missed the playoffs in 2024, and at the top of that list was the injury to star Christian McCaffrey that sidelined him for 13 games. Just one season removed from his breakout NFL Offensive Player of the Year campaign,