The San Francisco 49ers went 12-5 and reached the Divisional Round in 2025 despite losing quarterback Brock Purdy, tight end George Kittle, defensive end Nick Bosa, and linebacker Fred Warner to significant injuries at various points during the season.
Through all of it, Christian McCaffrey stayed on the field for all 17 games and carried an offense that often had no one else to lean on. That workload caught up to his production even if it didn’t sideline him, and now San Francisco is taking steps to make sure 2026 looks different.
Christian McCaffrey Speaks Up on HC Kyle Shanahan’s New Approach for Him
The 49ers used a third-round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft on Indiana running back Kaelon Black, who rushed for 1,040 yards and 10 touchdowns during the Hoosiers’ College Football Playoff National Championship run. Black joins Jordan James and Isaac Guerendo in a backfield room that Kyle Shanahan wants to lean on more heavily behind McCaffrey.
“I want him to have more juice,” Shanahan said about McCaffrey. “He doesn’t have to take that beating when it’s unnecessary. I’m hoping we can have some other guys step up more this year so you don’t feel like you need him on the field every play.”
McCaffrey’s 2025 numbers were staggering, as he finished with 311 carries for 1,202 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns on the ground, adding 102 receptions for 924 receiving yards and seven more touchdowns through the air. His 413 total touches led the NFL, and his 2,126 scrimmage yards ranked second in the league.
He won AP Comeback Player of the Year honors after missing most of the 2024 season with Achilles and PCL injuries. However, McCaffrey averaged 3.9 yards per carry last year, and it showed that the volume of touches had taken a toll on him.
According to PFSN’s RB Impact Metric, McCaffrey posted an impact score of 82.4 last season, ranking fourth in the league. However, he is not upset about potentially getting fewer touches on the field in 2026.
“Look, nobody ever wants to hear that you’re going to get the ball less,” McCaffrey said. “No coach has ever planned how many touches I get. I’ve never had that conversation with any one of my coaches that we want to give you this many touches. That’s like telling a 3-point shooter that we only want you to shoot five 3s this game. You just don’t do that.”
“It’s probably a load management thing for them more than anything,” he continued. “But my job is not to focus on that at all. It’s just to be ready for 10 touches or 35, whatever the game calls for… So when (Shanahan) says that stuff, I don’t get mad at all. I don’t get mad or sad or whatever. I just train and prepare to have 35 touches a game and not come out.”
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Shanahan’s goal is more realistic than in previous years because the team will have more playmakers available on the field in the upcoming season.
The 49ers signed Mike Evans to a three-year deal worth up to $60.4 million in free agency. Kittle, who tore his Achilles during the Wild Card round win over the Philadelphia Eagles, is targeting a return near the start of the season, and rookie wideout De’Zhaun Stribling will be another exciting piece alongside Ricky Pearsall.
With Evans commanding attention on the outside, Kittle drawing coverage over the middle, and Black potentially a solid RB2, Purdy should have far more options to distribute the ball than in 2025. As a result, McCaffrey can be saved for crucial spots and enter the postseason healthy and energized.
The question is whether Shanahan will follow through with his plan when the games tighten up. He’s talked about reducing McCaffrey’s workload before, but it never sticks. If Black and the supporting cast prove capable, this could be the year it finally does, but McCaffrey will be ready for whatever the team asks from him.
