The 49ers have so many players who need to step up this year.
Brandon Aiyuk needs to make a speedy recovery from knee surgery. Brock Purdy needs to bounce back from a down season. Trent Williams needs to stay healthy. George Kittle needs to stay in his prime. And five or six rookies on defense need to play like veterans.
But most of all, Christian McCaffrey needs to be special. Because if he’s merely good, he won’t be good enough to carry the 49ers to the Super Bowl the way he did in 2023. And if he’s injured, they could miss the playoffs entirely.
That’s why Pro Football Focus says McCaffrey is the 49ers’ make-or-break player this year.
“Just one year removed from being arguably the best running back in football, McCaffrey endured a disaster of a 2024 season,” writes PFF’s Dalton Wasserman. “He appeared in just four games due to injury and earned a career-low 71.3 PFF overall grade.
“If McCaffrey performs like the player who was the highest-graded qualified running back in the NFL across 2022 and 2023, then San Francisco has a playoff-caliber offense. If the injuries persist or have sapped his explosiveness, there will be serious questions about McCaffrey’s future.”
McCaffrey is a good reminder of how quickly running backs can age. At 27-years old, he seemed like he was just entering his prime, not ending it. But at 28, he fell apart. And and 29, he trying to show that he has something left. If he struggles this year, who knows where he’ll be at 30?
