As of press time, the San Francisco 49ers are one of the NFL teams in better standing (4-2). On their roster is veteran running back Christian McCaffrey. Across all six games played so far, McCaffrey has posted 780 all-purpose yards and four total touchdowns.
While there are certainly flashier wide receivers across the league, this particular Stanford alum has a unique ability for catching in the backfield in practically the same amount he runs on the ground.
How Much Does Christian McCaffrey Make?
Across his career, McCaffrey has recorded 4,910 receiving yards and 32 touchdowns in addition to rushing for 6,723 yards and 53 touchdowns. His career-high came in 2023 with McCaffrey running for 1,459 yards and 14 touchdowns.
Perhaps this is why, in June 2024, the 49ers and the then-reigning Offensive Player of the Year agreed to a two-year contract extension worth $19 million per year.
According to NFL.com, McCaffrey had already dominated the running back market, averaging around $16 million per year on a contract signed with the Carolina Panthers in 2020. With two years left on his deal, the running back was set to earn just under $12 million in base salary in 2024 and $12 million in 2025.
McCaffrey’s current contract totals $62.2 million through 2027. He averages $15.55 million per season and has a current career earnings of around $90.1 million according to Spotrac.
In his final year as a junior with Stanford, the 5’11”, 210-pound player was placed on the AP All-America second and All-Pac-12 first teams.
McCaffrey was then drafted with the No. 8 overall pick by the Carolina Panthers back in 2017. He came to San Francisco in 2022 when they traded for him in exchange for sending second, third, and fourth-round picks in 2023 and a fifth-round pick in 2024 to the Panthers. The San Francisco 49ers have the 13th-ranked offense so far this season, according to PFSN’s NFL Offense Impact metric.
In terms of financial opportunities off the field, McCaffrey let his endorsement deal with Nike expire to join upstart performance wellness brand While On Earth as a co-founder and investor. The company is a footwear and apparel startup that launched in the fall of 2024.
McCaffrey also previously invested in Hyperice, a manufacturer of therapy devices for athletes and consumers, and Oura Ring, a fitness and sleep tracker manufacturer. Additionally, he also previously invested in BodyArmor.
San Francisco and McCaffrey next turn their attention to taking on the Atlanta Falcons in Week 7.
49ers Players’ Outlooks for Week 7
Here’s what PFSN’s Kyle Soppe wrote on the notable 49ers players’ fantasy outlooks for the Week 7 matchup against the Falcons:
Mac Jones
I don’t want to say that the clock struck midnight on Mac Jones over the weekend because he still threw for 347 yards against the Buccaneers, but he didn’t account for a touchdown, threw a pair of picks, and lost 51 yards via six sacks.
I can’t really put all the blame at his feet; he’s working with a backup cast and doing the best he can, but when Jake Tonges is consistently a featured part of your attack, there’s some downside to consider.
What Jones could do in this spot intrigues me should he get two valuable pieces back (George Kittle and Ricky Pearsall), though that remains to be seen, and it’s just as likely that Brock Purdy (toe) returns to start for this team.
I love that Jones funneled 24 of 37 targets (64.9%) to his three primary weapons, and that five different players had catches of more than 15 yards. He’s done enough, along with the scheming excellence of Kyle Shanahan, to be worthy of your consideration when he gets a chance, but I’m only going this direction this week if he has more in the way of reinforcements.
Christian McCaffrey
Robinson technically pulled ahead of Christian McCaffrey for RB1 honors through six weeks in terms of PPR PPG.
“Technically pulled ahead.”
The fact that it’s that tight is insane to me. Robinson is averaging 5.8 yards per carry, while McCaffrey is at 3.1 and has not had a rush of more than 15 yards this season. I can’t imagine the rushing numbers getting worse, and the fact that he can improve dramatically is difficult to comprehend.
CMC scored his first rushing touchdown of the season over the weekend against the Buccaneers (he’s scored in four of his past five games) and is pacing for 130 receptions.
We are spoiled to have these two stars sharing a field this week.
George Kittle
The top of the TE board has been brutal this season. Brock Bowers has been banged up, Trey McBride’s QB missed Week 6, and we haven’t seen George Kittle since the opener.
The latter could be rectified this week, as there is cautious optimism that we get San Francisco’s former All-Pro back from the hamstring injury that he suffered after turning 13 routes into 12.5 PPR points in the Week 1 win in Seattle.
Outside of “bad injury vibes” for the 49ers, I can’t imagine a world in which you’re not jumping at the opportunity to reinsert him into your lineup the second he’s deemed active. He set career highs in fantasy points over expectation, red-zone target rate, and PPR points per target in 2021, production levels I’d expect to return sooner rather than later.
Is there risk involved with betting on a tight end who is at less than full strength? Of course, but there’s more risk in betting on the inferior talent that you’ve been replacing him with over the past month-plus, so I’m not wasting time overthinking this one.
For those who celebrate, National Tight End Day occurs one week from Sunday.
Jauan Jennings
Do we really know what a healthy Jauan Jennings looks like?
He’s been battling rib and ankle injuries for a month now, and while he’s taken the field twice over that stretch, he’s produced under a half-yard per route and has been a shell of himself. I’m done guessing.
There are situations where I’ll jump the line and be early, but this isn’t one, given the lingering nature of these ailments. When this roster is whole, are we sure that there is a fantasy-viable role for Jennings to step into?
Ricky Pearsall is going to be tasked with stretching the field, and that opens up the short passing game. That’s good for Jennings’ profile, but with George Kittle and Christian McCaffrey soaking up those looks in bulk, I have Jennings looking at more of a five-target type of role, and that’s a low-end flex at best in a Brock Purdy-led offense.
Injuries could continue to vault Jennings into a reasonable role this week, but the Falcons are the best YAC defense against opposing wide receivers this season. Should Pearsall sit, I’ll end up ranking Jennings and Kendrick Bourne in the same tier, one that sits just outside the top 30 at the position.
