And to think Christian McCaffrey was the guy everyone was worried about. After having his 2024 season derailed by bilateral Achilles tendinitis and a PCL strain, there was plenty of concern about whether McCaffrey’s football age had surpassed his biological age of 29. Surely, it was time to share the load—reduce his carries and receptions—to maximize whatever he had left to give.
Yet, the 49ers have a 6-3 record, and McCaffrey keeps bouncing off tacklers and the turf as the driving force of their offense.
Consider the injuries the team has endured: Nick Bosa and Fred Warner are done for the season. Brock Purdy has missed seven games. Brandon Aiyuk is still rehabbing a torn ACL/MCL. George Kittle missed five games. Now, the 49ers worry about rookie defensive end Mykel Williams, who may have a torn ACL.
What kind of odds would have predicted that McCaffrey would be the one still standing?
The 49ers are working McCaffrey harder than ever since acquiring him via trade in 2022. In a recent 34-24 road win over the Giants, he rushed 28 times for 106 yards and a touchdown and caught five passes for 67 yards and another score. His 34 touches (for 173 total yards) are his most with the 49ers and just three shy of his career high of 37, set at age 23 with the Carolina Panthers.
It might be time to stop worrying about McCaffrey and simply enjoy the show.
When McCaffrey was named the NFL’s Offensive Player of the Year in 2023, he logged 339 touches. He’s currently on pace for 434 this season—a number that surpasses his 403 touches in 2019 when he became only the third NFL player to register 1,000 yards rushing and receiving in the same season, joining Roger Craig and Marshall Faulk. No running back has ever done it twice, yet McCaffrey is on pace for 1,126 yards rushing and 1,164 yards receiving.
Additionally, the 49ers received 53 yards on five carries from Brian Robinson Jr., who has adapted to a secondary role compared to his two-back duties in Washington.
Coach Kyle Shanahan is unapologetic about McCaffrey’s heavy usage. He gives McCaffrey Wednesdays off and talks about protecting him from himself—except on game days, when all bets are off.
“Christian’s always been pretty durable,” Shanahan said. “Last year he had something that never went away, then he hurt his knee on a random run in Buffalo. Christian is the most conditioned, prepared athlete I’ve ever been around. He’s such a big factor in blocking, running, and passing. He’s one of the best players I’ve ever been around. I’d like to say he figured something out, but the guy goes as hard as he can every offseason, so there’s not much more to figure out.”
McCaffrey sticks to his usual mindset, giving credit to his teammates and shrugging off his exploits with his trademark “one game at a time, one play at a time” explanation. It may be a cliché, but it works for him.
When McCaffrey reached 98 yards combined rushing and receiving in the recent game, he became the seventh fastest player in NFL history to amass 12,000 total yards—achieving the feat in just 104 games. The six players ahead of him are Edgerrin James (95 games), LaDainian Tomlinson (95), Eric Dickerson (97), Jim Brown (98), Marshall Faulk (102), and Barry Sanders (102). All are enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
What McCaffrey is doing has become so routine there really wasn’t much postgame buzz about his performance—exactly how he prefers it.
“Coming out strong is important for us. It’s important for us to stay emotionally sharp and mentally sharp,” McCaffrey said. “Sometimes you might score early and not again until the fourth quarter. It’s all about taking one play at a time.”
After the 49ers’ stumble in Houston last week, they returned to their belief in balance, skewed toward the run when possible. Against the Giants, they ran the ball 39 times, just like against Atlanta, and gained 159 yards on the ground.
“It’s the identity of our team,” left tackle Trent Williams told reporters. “Running the ball, possessing the ball, converting third downs.”
Late in the third and early in the fourth quarter, with the Giants trailing 20-10, quarterback Mac Jones connected with Kendrick Bourne for a 13-yard gain. Shanahan then proceeded to pound the ball down New York’s throat with eight straight running plays. McCaffrey carried the first five, and Robinson the last three—capping the drive with an 18-yard touchdown run that extended the lead to 27-10.
To Shanahan, it was play-calling nirvana.
“The whole time you’re like, ‘Man, can you do it again and get away with it?’” Shanahan said. “Maybe we should do a play-action or something off it. And then I just said, ‘Screw it, we’ll keep running it.’ And the guys came through. It’s one of the most enjoyable drives you can have when it’s all running plays.”
McCaffrey was happy to see Robinson have his best game as a 49er. Beyond his rushing yardage, Robinson broke a 41-yard kickoff return that helped set up McCaffrey’s 3-yard touchdown run late in the game.
“He runs so hard, and you could tell he’s been itching,” McCaffrey said. “It might not be the way he wants it right now, but to have him is huge for me. He pushes me, and with the way he runs, if we can get that flow, I’m really excited. You couldn’t ask for a guy to come in with a better attitude. He just keeps pushing.”
Williams told reporters Robinson predicted a big day ahead of time.
“He said, ‘You know I don’t get a lot of carries, but today I’m going to make the most of what I get,’” Williams said. “It’s one thing when a guy says he’s going to do something, another when he actually does it. Christian doesn’t leave a lot of crumbs on the table. He understands his role and he comes in ready to go.”
https://www.mercurynews.com/2025/11/02/49ers-christian-mccaffrey-carries-the-load-with-help-from-brian-robinson-vs-giants/