Anticipated for nine weeks, Christian McCaffrey’s return to action has produced largely underwhelming results.
San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan believes there have been some unrealistic expectations, but likewise admits McCaffrey’s been harder on himself than anyone -- and that’s what makes CMC outstanding.
Following a Week 12 loss to the Green Bay Packers in which he rushed for just 31 yards -- his lowest output since Week 4 of the 2022 season with the Carolina Panthers -- McCaffrey stewed at his locker. It was a reaction that his head coach appreciates because he thinks it fuels his All-Pro back.
“I think that's what makes Christian great,” Shanahan said Wednesday, via team transcript. “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.”
That greatness has rarely been glimpsed in his three 2024 games, though. It was briefly viewed in the fourth quarter of the Packers loss when McCaffrey gained 23 yards on a Brandon Allen pass. But it ended with a lost fumble, as mentioned by Shanahan.
Whether CMC (ever) moves past the gaffe remains to be seen, but seeing the reigning AP Offensive Player of the Year return to form would be a major lift for a flatlining 49ers team that’s 5-6, slipping out of playoff contention and has lost two straight entering Sunday night’s game against the Buffalo Bills. Shanahan doesn’t believe that’s been a realistic expectation for a player who missed training camp and the first eight games dealing with Achilles and calf injuries.
“The speculation on Christian, I think, is a little bit unfair to him,” Shanahan said. “Christian's playing very well, he is playing his ass off. 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.
“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 8 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.”
Sitting at 149 rushing yards in his three games so far, there’s plenty of room for McCaffrey to approach the star shape he’s showcased so many times before. Unfortunately, there might not be plenty of time.
With injuries to the likes of Brock Purdy, Nick Bosa, Trent Williams, Brandon Aiyuk and others compounding matters, just how fair it is to expect top-flight CMC to take off might not matter. The 49ers clearly need more production from him, and Shanahan certainly isn’t shying away from calling his number. Since McCaffrey’s been back, he’s carried the ball 43 times, while Jordan Mason and Isaac Guerendo have a combined seven attempts in that span.
“We're not just a big three-man-rotation team, especially when you have a solidified starter,” Shanahan said. “We're not trying to get Christian off the field more. We want to keep him fresh and keep him at his best, but Christian's also a guy who gets better as he goes. He's a guy who feels a lot more comfortable being out there.”