San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey was one of the sport’s best players in 2025, but his dominance was no guarantee. After bilateral Achilles tendinitis a year prior, McCaffrey’s long-term effectiveness and a host of prior injuries and durability concerns underlined his profile.
Of course, he was excellent, which was no surprise to former Carolina Panthers teammate Greg Olsen.
Greg Olsen Shares High Praise for Christian McCaffrey
McCaffrey is chasing a Super Bowl as he enters his 30s, and with the San Francisco 49ers, he’s poised to get a few more shots at a title in the coming years. He’s also pursuing football immortality in the form of a Hall of Fame induction. Doing so likely requires strong production into his mid-30s, hitting milestones like 10,000 rushing yards and 100 rushing touchdowns.
On “The Fitz & Whit Show” with Ryan Fitzpatrick and Andrew Whitworth, Olsen shared why he’s confident in McCaffrey standing the test of time.
“There’s no doubt [he can defy the age curve],” Olsen said. “I’ve been fortunate to play with Hall of Famers. McCaffrey, of all the guys I’ve played with, Julius Peppers, Brian Urlacher, Luke [Kuechly], and Devin Hester. Hall of Fame dudes that I got to see up close and personal. McCaffrey might be as special as any of them.”
“In my mind [Christian McCaffrey] a no-brainer Hall of Fame guy. He’s one of the best players, if not the best player, I’ve ever played with.”
Greg Olsen explains how Christian McCaffrey has been able to be elite for such a long time 💯 pic.twitter.com/144tqMb6du
— Fitz & Whit (@fitzandwhit) March 25, 2026
McCaffrey was a slam-dunk Comeback Player of the Year winner in 2025, leading the league in touches (413) after his injury-riddled 2024 campaign. He was the rushing and receiving focal point of one of the NFC’s top offenses and managed to produce without a ton of explosive plays on the ground.
In all, he was the sixth-ranked running back by PFSN’s NFL RB Impact Metric, trailing only Saquon Barkley, Bijan Robinson, Jahmyr Gibbs, De’Von Achane, and Derrick Henry.
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The injury scares aren’t going away anytime soon. But as long as he keeps bouncing back up and moving the chains, each rush will be one closer to Canton.
“There’s games where I’m watching, and I’m just like ‘Oh my god, get up, right?’ Just keep getting up,” Olsen continued. “And he does, week after week, game after game. In my mind, he’s a no-brainer Hall of Fame guy. He’s one of the best players, if not the best player, I’ve ever played with. And what he’s able to do, week in, week out, physically, mentally, and the consistency, there’s just very few guys like him.”
Whether it’s the second-generation NFL genetics, maniacal care of his body, or simply good fortune, McCaffrey bounced back in 2025. He’ll look to make good on that momentum and Olsen’s praise next season.
