San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey is three games into his return from injury.
The two-time first-team All-Pro and reigning Associated Press NFL Offensive Player of the Year missed the 49ers’ first eight games this season because of bilateral Achilles tendinitis.
McCaffrey was activated off the injured reserve on Nov. 9 and made his season debut in San Francisco’s 23-20 Week 10 win at the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
McCaffrey carried 13 times for 39 yards and also caught six receptions for 68 yards in the win over the Bucs.
Then, in the 49ers’ 20-17 loss versus Seattle, McCaffrey rushed 19 times for 79 yards and reeled in four passes for 27 yards.
But, after carrying 11 times for just 31 yards against the Green Bay Packers in San Francisco’s frustrating 38-10 loss this past weekend, questions about McCaffrey’s readiness emerged in earnest.
San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan pushed back against any of that negativity.
“Yeah, I think, we haven’t been, we haven’t played that well these last two weeks or we haven’t got the running game going these last two weeks,” Shanahan said. “Thought it was better versus Tampa, we just didn’t get a big one. But I mean, the speculation on Christian, I think, is a little bit unfair to him. Christian’s playing very well, he is playing his ass off.”
Shanahan pointed out that McCaffrey never got to truly ramp up during the offseason either.
“But to think a guy who misses an entire offseason is just going to be the exact same the day he gets back would be unfair to any player in the world, I feel like.” Shanahan said. “Guys who miss offseasons and miss training camp, usually it takes them a little bit of time at the beginning of the year to get back into how they were the year before, let alone missing half the season also on top of that.
“So, I think Christian’s doing a hell of a job. But to just think him coming back in week eight with not being able to do anything for the last nine months or whatever it is, and to think he’s just going to be in MVP form is a very unrealistic expectation.”
Shanahan said that McCaffrey looks physically right to him. Instead, Shanahan said the 49ers need to do a better job of consistently creating running lanes and that McCaffrey missed one or two big runs with his vision that would have altered the outside perspective.
“I think he looks real good,” Shanahan said. “I think he’s playing very well. I don’t think he’s had a bunch of clean lanes. I think he had a couple versus, when I say a couple, I actually mean two versus Tampa, and if he hits those two which maybe is just half a step off just with seeing it.
“But you hit those two and it’ll completely change yards-per-carry, which will look better from an outside perspective, but it won’t change anything in actually what’s happening. So to sit here and talk like he’s struggling, not going to do that at all. But for us to be disappointed that he’s not exactly how he was or just right in MVP form, that’d be unfair with any player.”
McCaffrey had a 23-yard reception early in the fourth quarter of the 49ers’ loss at the Packers, but he fumbled the football away.
Shanahan noted that McCaffrey’s response to those types of moments is what makes him a special player.
“I think that’s what makes Christian great,” he said. “Christian, I’ve told you guys, he’s a psycho in the best way possible. Christian had a fumble there at the end of the game. No matter what I say to him, he is not going to forgive himself for a fumble for probably the rest of his life, he’ll still be mad at himself for that. That’s just how he rolls.
“That’s his mindset in everything. You should see him in OTAs, if he drops the ball and how he acts after that and apologizing to us later in the day for a dropped ball in OTAs on period one. That’s what makes him great and it means a lot to him.”
McCaffrey joined the 49ers at the trade deadline during the 2022 campaign. In his first full season with San Francisco during the 2023 season, McCaffrey led the NFL in rushing yards (1,459), yards from scrimmage (2,023) and touchdowns (21).
McCaffrey racked up all of those gaudy numbers in spite of sitting out the regular-season finale after San Francisco had clinched home-field advantage and a bye in the playoffs.
Fans are hoping to see more of that explosion from McCaffrey moving forward.
San Francisco (5-6) returns to action on Sunday, Dec. 1 with a date at Buffalo (9-2) on Sunday Night Football. Kickoff is set for 5:20 p.m. PT and the game will be broadcast on NBC and stream on Peacock.
