SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) — The San Francisco 49ers may have found their most significant advantage during an extended offseason.
After a challenging 2022 season where he was limited to only four games due to injuries affecting his Achilles tendon and knee, the driving force behind San Francisco’s dynamic offense was present on the practice field for the offseason program. He aims to return to the level of performance that earned him the AP Offensive Player of the Year title during the 2023 Super Bowl run.
This player’s contributions will be vital for San Francisco as they seek to recover from a disappointing 6-11 season, which, at least, provided the benefit of additional downtime in the winter following three consecutive years of extensive playoff action.
“Being fully transparent, obviously last year didn’t go the way I wanted,” McCaffrey stated. “It didn’t go the way anyone wanted. But having this time off has allowed me to start from scratch and have the time where I can build a base again, come into OTAs, play football and now get back into it mentally, emotionally, physically in all ways. It was much needed and I’m happy we had it.”
McCaffrey plans to utilize the long interval prior to training camp starting in late July to maintain his fitness while also preparing for fatherhood. He and his wife, model Olivia Culpo, are anticipating their first child “right around the corner.”
During the offseason workouts, McCaffrey appeared revitalized after sitting out last year while recovering from a strenuous season and awaiting a new contract finalized last June.
In the 2023-24 regular season and playoffs, McCaffrey accumulated 798 touches from scrimmage—over 100 more than any other player in the league during that timeframe.
This heavy load likely played a role in the Achilles tendinitis that forced him out early in training camp last season, ultimately causing him to miss the first eight games of that campaign.
Upon returning, he sustained a posterior cruciate ligament injury in his fourth game, leading to his absence in the last five games of the season.
Without McCaffrey, an offense that had been ranked the most formidable in the league following his mid-2022 arrival stumbled during the previous year as the Niners faced significant challenges.
Coach Kyle Shanahan emphasized the importance of managing McCaffrey’s workload this summer “to protect him from himself” and to ensure he remains healthy and energized when games commence.
“He is a psycho in a good way, and he does everything imaginable every single day,” Shanahan remarked. “Last year he couldn’t because he was battling injury all last year. And this year, he is healthy so he is right back to being who he has always been, and it’s really fun to watch.”
Having just turned 29 earlier this month, McCaffrey acknowledged the necessity of balancing intense preparation for the season while avoiding early fatigue.
However, when he steps onto the field, he embraces a singular pace.
“My job is to put my body in the best position it can to go out there and be me,” he remarked. “There’s a lot of noise and sometimes there’s a lot of things going on. My job is to go 100% every play and continue to get better. I just try to focus on that.”
Image Source: Christian McCaffrey @ Instagram
