The sting of a disappointing 2024 season still lingers in the San Francisco 49ers locker room. Once projected as Super Bowl contenders, the team fell far short of expectations, finishing with a 6-11 record in a season plagued by injuries.
One of the most significant losses on the offensive side of the ball was star running back Christian McCaffrey. After earning NFL Offensive Player of the Year honors in 2023, McCaffrey was limited to just four games in 2024 due to Achilles tendinitis and a PCL injury. It was an absence that had a profound impact on the 49ers' season.
RELATED 49ers coach provides exciting update on Christian McCaffrey
NFL.com analyst Maurice Jones-Drew recently ranked the league's top starting running backs heading into the 2025 season, placing McCaffrey at No. 8. While that's a drop from last year's No. 1 ranking, Jones-Drew emphasized that a healthy McCaffrey remains one of the most dynamic weapons in the NFL.
"McCaffrey and the 49ers undoubtedly want to forget 2024, when the star running back was plagued by injury and San Francisco finished last in the NFC West," Jones-Drew wrote. "We saw how much the offense struggled with CMC limited to four games, ranking outside of the top 10 in scoring for the first time since 2021 (before McCaffrey's arrival)."
The 2025 season brings a renewed sense of optimism for both McCaffrey and the 49ers. Reports from the team's offseason program suggest the veteran running back is fully healthy and ready to lead the team back into playoff contention—assuming he remains injury-free.
"McCaffrey is one of the most valuable non-QBs to his team in the NFL," Jones-Drew added. "Now healthy heading into training camp, the three-time Pro Bowler eyes a bounce-back performance to help the Niners get back to the postseason."
While it remains to be seen whether McCaffrey can return to his 2023 form, there's no denying his presence on the field is crucial to San Francisco's success, especially after seeing how much the team faltered without him last year.