Since returning from an Achilles tendinitis issue, Christian McCaffrey has dominated the San Francisco 49ers' backfield, playing 88% of the offensive snaps. In contrast, Jordan Mason has seen just 8% of the snaps since McCaffrey's return, while Isaac Guerendo has played only 3%. Despite McCaffrey's underwhelming statistical start, the former NFL Offensive Player of the Year has kept the other running backs mostly sidelined.
Head coach Kyle Shanahan addressed the lack of a running back rotation, even as McCaffrey continues to work his way back to form. Shanahan noted that the team typically avoids a multi-back system, even during McCaffrey's absence, when Mason handled most of the workload while Guerendo saw limited action.
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"I mean, 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."
Statistical disparity
This season, McCaffrey has averaged a career-low 3.5 yards per carry. Mason, meanwhile, has averaged 5.1 yards per carry, with Guerendo posting an impressive 6.0 yards per carry. Despite these numbers, McCaffrey's versatility as a pass-catcher and his ability to create mismatches in the passing game are significant reasons for his heavy usage.
McCaffrey is averaging a career-high 10.2 yards per reception, compared to Mason's 8.3 and Guerendo's 5.5. His presence on the field forces defenses to account for the threat of a pass to the running back, something Shanahan believes sets McCaffrey apart.
McCaffrey addresses narrative
McCaffrey has a reputation for rarely wanting to come off the field, but he pushed back against the idea that he forcefully influences his snap count.
"I think that's a narrative that kind of goes on," McCaffrey said on Wednesday. "If I feel like I can't be my best out there, I'll come off the field. Or if [running backs coach] Bobby [Turner]—I don't handle my own snaps, is the short answer. If I'm out there, I'm full speed, I'm ready to go.
"I think there probably would be a lot more shared if it weren't for some of the positions that our offense has gotten herself into these last couple of weeks. That's why I think narratives and broad statements can always be argued when you look at the tape and look at kind of why situations are happening.
"But for us, we're just gonna continue to chop wood. That's about all you can control."
Offensive struggles impacting playing time
Shanahan pointed to the team's recent offensive struggles as another reason for the limited opportunities for Mason and Guerendo.
"I also don't think the way these games have gone, we didn't run the ball much last week at all, in general," Shanahan said. "I think we got 14 runs. So when that's the case, you're not going on long drives, you only have 13 plays or 14 plays in the whole first half, with one of them being close to a two-minute drive, the other's being four-and-out. It's just not going to work out that way."
Turning a corner
McCaffrey wasn't pleased with his performance in Sunday's 31-20 loss to the Green Bay Packers, rushing for just 31 yards on 11 carries. However, the star running back remains optimistic about turning the corner.
"I feel like I'm getting a lot better," McCaffrey said. "You have to manage your expectations a lot of times, but for me, it's not about anything statistically right now. It's not about any of that stuff. It's just about getting better every single day. I know I'm doing that, which I'm excited about.
"For me, my mindset's always the same, whether or not I have success or failures. I think, when you lose, and maybe you don't jump out on the stat sheet, your failures get highlighted, but I'm the same way all the time. There's stuff that happens when you have huge games that I'm upset at.
"That mindset, for me, has been the same my whole entire career, and nothing's going to change there. I'm happy I'm out here playing football because I know I'll get better. I know who I am, and I just know, with time, it's going to start to come."