After an injury-riddled season in 2024, San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey has bounced back well, playing in every game for the 49ers in 2025 despite the franchise enduring another flurry of injuries to big-time playmakers.
However, after back-to-back 100-yard rushing games, McCaffrey has gotten out to a slow start against the Seattle Seahawks in the first half of the 49ers’ Week 18 divisional matchup.
What Happened to San Francisco 49ers RB Christian McCaffrey?
No, McCaffrey is not injured; in fact, he’s played in all 17 games for the 49ers this regular season. He entered the huge Week 18 Saturday night matchup fresh off his best outing of the season, rushing 23 times for 140 yards and a touchdown. He also caught four of six targets from quarterback Brock Purdy for 41 yards.
Unfortunately for the 49ers, McCaffrey has been silenced by the dominant Seahawks defense. He’s failed to find much room on the ground, turning three carries into seven yards. However, he’s had more success in the passing game, catching all three of his targets for 18 yards.
McCaffrey has been the most reliable presence for San Francisco’s offense this season. Entering Week 18, he has rushed the ball 303 times for 1,179 yards and ten touchdowns. He’s also caught 96 of 122 targets for 890 yards and seven more trips to the end zone.
McCaffrey ranked as a top-ten running back in the NFL this season, scoring an impact score of 83.4 in PFSN’s RB Impact Metric, ranking him as the eighth overall back coming into the matchup with the Seahawks.
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Despite their injury issues this season at multiple positions, the 49ers have the second-ranked offense in PFSN’s Offense Impact Metric with an impact score of 87.1.
San Francisco’s offense was firing on all cylinders in Week 17, scoring 42 points against the Chicago Bears. Since the 49ers are notably without second-year WR Ricky Pearsall against the Seahawks, they have struggled to move the ball. He was key in stretching the field during the first matchup against the Seahawks in Week 1, while he led the 49ers’ pass catchers against the Bears a week ago.
The absence of Pearsall seems to have hampered San Francisco’s offensive success as they’ve failed to gain more than 100 yards of offense after the first half and the 49ers’ first drive of the second half.
Coming into Week 18, San Francisco controlled their playoff destiny, with a win sending the NFC postseason through Santa Clara. If they can’t break out of their offensive funk, they can kiss that No. 1 seed goodbye, even if they are only facing a seven-point deficit.
