San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey appeared in just four games last season, beginning and ending the 2024 campaign on injured reserve. Achilles tendinitis delayed his season debut until Week 10, and a PCL knee injury ended his season in Week 13 against the Buffalo Bills.
Speaking to reporters on Tuesday as the 49ers kicked off their offseason program, McCaffrey offered encouraging news about his recovery.
"I'm feeling great," McCaffrey said. "It's been such a smooth process, a lot of hard work. As soon as that injury happened in Buffalo, I was kind of—this was my goal, to not miss a day of OTAs, be back, ready to go, with nothing hindering me, and that's where I'm at."
When asked when his knee began to feel normal again, McCaffrey replied, "It went by pretty quickly. I don't remember the exact date, but I got to a point pretty early in the offseason when I was training full-speed, ready to go."
As for whether he'll face any restrictions when he returns to the practice field in May, McCaffrey responded confidently, "Correct. Yeah, no restrictions right now."
While McCaffrey finished the 2024 season with just 202 rushing yards and no touchdowns, he was a force in 2023, earning NFL Offensive Player of the Year honors with 2,023 scrimmage yards and 21 total touchdowns.
The 49ers are counting on McCaffrey returning to form in 2025 as they look to bounce back from a disappointing 6-11 season.
"It's been great," McCaffrey added. "Yeah, everything's been really smooth, and pumped to be back here."