Christian McCaffrey stopped practicing Aug. 8 after dealing with calf and overall body tightness. After roughly two weeks away, the San Francisco 49ers star returned to team drills on Sunday.
Given his bilateral Achilles tendinitis in 2024, San Francisco has little reason to test its key offensive weapon during camp, but ahead of the season, Dallas Cowboys legend Michael Irvin has raised a pretty big concern about McCaffrey’s workload.
Michael Irvin Wants 49ers to Take a Measured Approach With Christian McCaffrey
Speaking on “The White House Podcast,” Irvin pointed to the injuries and punishment the running back has absorbed.
“You look at the injuries they’ve dealt with, and I sat and talked with them,” Irvin said. “I was so happy, and I thought it worked out great that they brought back Deebo Samuel for this reason right here. They’ve been giving Christian McCaffrey; it’s been a pounding, what they’re putting him through.”
McCaffrey enters the season after handling 413 touches, which creates concern. Still, he showed how valuable that workload can be. Three times in the past four seasons, he has topped 320 touches. Yet three times in his career, he’s missed at least 10 games, creating a difficult risk-reward equation for the 49ers.
Then, the efficiency numbers add more caution.
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McCaffrey played only four games in 2024 and averaged 4.0 yards per carry. Last season, he stayed on the field for all 17 games, but his average fell to 3.9 yards. That sits well below his career mark of 4.6 and gives San Francisco another reason to manage his workload.
But he turned 71.5% of his carries into an above-average gain after contact, the best rate of his career in that category. However, the explosive runs that once separated him from other backs have become less common, making smarter usage important.
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That is where Irvin believes Samuel can help the 49ers.
“The only thing, see, Deebo Samuel gave you an opportunity to give him some rest. And you can still run your offense. You see what I mean? So that’s why him going back, that was huge.”
The 49ers brought Samuel back on a one-year deal worth up to $7 million after his brief stint with the Washington Commanders.
Samuel struggled to meet expectations in Washington, finishing with 727 yards and five touchdowns. Those numbers were not disastrous, but they fell well short of what the Commanders expected from him.
He received a 77 grade for his 2025 campaign and ranked #26 in PFN’s Wide Receiver Impact Metric.
Samuel’s history with San Francisco makes the reunion important. He played a major role in helping the 49ers reach the Super Bowl during the 2019 and 2023 seasons.
So, Samuel can give San Francisco another way to keep its offense moving while McCaffrey gets managed.
McCaffrey recently explained why he stepped away from practice before returning.
“Obviously, when you don’t practice, the way the media works now, it’s a firestorm, but this was part of the plan from the jump, to ramp up pretty big, get 9 or 10 practices in, come back down, and then ramp back up so we’re fresh for the duration.
“I feel great, I feel fresh, and it’s good to be back out there,” McCaffrey said.
For now, the 49ers want McCaffrey to recover and then build him back up before Week 1. Given his recent injury history, that cautious plan makes sense.
