The San Francisco 49ers’ season never got off the ground. A bilateral Achilles tendinitis during training camp kept Christian McCaffrey out of the lineup for most of the year. When he did return, a PCL injury further complicated matters. Without his explosiveness that made him the 2023 Offensive Player of the Year, the 49ers crumbled, finishing with just six wins on the year.
However, things look optimistic as we head into the 2025 season. After a roster overhaul during the offseason and the pending Brock Purdy contract extension, San Francisco is hoping for a healthy year from their superstar running back. By the looks of it, he’s on track to meet, or even surpass, their expectations, leading many to make lofty predictions about the 49ers in 2025.
How Good Does Christian McCaffrey Make the San Francisco 49ers?
Suiting up for just four games last year, McCaffrey was a shell of his former self in production as well. However, it looks like he’s back to full capacity as San Francisco wraps up its mandatory minicamp for the summer.
With his health seemingly out of the equation, veteran NFL superstar and three-time Super Bowl champion Mark Schlereth spoke about the impact he has on San Francisco as a whole. On the latest episode of his podcast, The Stinkin’ Truth, Schlereth had high hopes for the former Carolina Panthers superstar.
“I know the level he’ll play at, I know the weapon that he is, what he does in the passing game, what he does in the running game,” he said. “If he can play all 17, I think the 49ers win the NFC West.” However, he has just one concern.
“That kid is his own worst enemy because he trains so freaking hard.” Schlereth then issued a warning for the three-time Pro Bowler. “The biggest thing for Christian is almost managing himself because he just has this propensity to go ballistic.”
The comments from Schlereth line up perfectly with the update San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan gave about the lynchpin of his offense. Speaking about his recovery process, Shanahan described McCaffrey as a “psycho.”
After sitting out for essentially the entire 2024 season, his practice regimen has been as intense as ever. And for the 49ers, it is going to be a necessity. His last healthy season was arguably the best year of his career.
His first full season as a 49er, McCaffrey ran for 1,459 yards and scored 14 touchdowns, while hauling in 564 yards and an additional seven touchdowns through the year.
As a result, he finished as the league leader in rushing yards, touches, and total touchdowns, solidifying his case as the Offensive Player of the Year while also earning some consideration on MVP ballots. He led San Francisco to 12 wins and an appearance in Super Bowl LVIII.