Kyle Shanahan adamant 49ers need to get Christian McCaffrey help at running back

PHOENIX — Injuries to key players were the prominent storyline for the 49ers during the 2025 NFL season.But, surprisingly, the one position group that was immune to health issues was running back.“This is the first year that I can remember coaching that not one of our running backs got hurt,” 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan said Monday at the NFL Annual Meeting.Running back Christian McCaffrey returned after an injury-plagued 2024 to take on a full workload last year.At 29, and in his ninth NFL season, McCaffrey carried a career-high 311 times. He gained 1,202 yards on the ground, while also catching 102 passes for 924 yards, earning AP Comeback Player of the Year honors.Things will have to change in 2026, Shanahan said.“Christian had an unbelievable year last year, but he definitely needs help,” Shanahan said.Brian Robinson Jr., the 49ers’ No. 2 running back a year ago, signed with the Atlanta Falcons as a free agent after carrying just 92 times for 400 yards.The 49ers did not have a third running back touch the ball until rookie Jordan James got onto the field in a mop-up role in the second half of the team’s 41-6 season-ending playoff loss to the Seattle Seahawks.James and Isaac Guerendo are currently Nos. 2 and 3 on the 49ers’ depth chart behind McCaffrey.“Hopefully, they can have a healthy offseason,” Shanahan said. “We do need some better runners to help Christian. I think Jordan James did show that. Isaac has shown us he can be very good in the pass game.”Shanahan said he planned to give McCaffrey more rest throughout the 17-game regular season. But McCaffrey ended up playing 83 percent of the 49ers’ offseason snaps, the most since he came to the team in a midseason trade in 2022.“We went into the year wanting to take care of him a little bit more,” Shanahan said. “But the way the offense went, I think more with the receivers and the injuries that we had, it was hard to get him off (the field). And it was cool to have him out there because he did help our offense so much.”Shanahan credited McCaffrey’s presence for opening up areas of the passing game that might have been otherwise lacking last season. McCaffrey changed how defenses played on first and second downs, and helped the 49ers’ pedestrian set of wide receivers put up some big numbers.The 49ers ranked fifth in the NFL with 244.5 passing per game behind Brock Purdy and backup Mac Jones, who started eight games.“With the health issues we had with receivers last year, the guys in and out, we were still able to be a top-five passing team,” Shanahan said. “I think that had to do with Christian being on the field.”Shanahan said he and running backs coach Bobby Turner need to work together to find the right balance with McCaffrey’s playing time.“The hardest thing last year was when you had a game plan in the pass game predicated around a running back and the backup doesn’t have the same skillset,” Shanahan said.He said there would be times when he called a play specifically for McCaffrey, who was being subbed out of the game as the call was going into the quarterback.Then, Shanahan said he either had to call a timeout or stick with a play that might not be something Robinson was capable of performing.McCaffrey’s rushing average fell to 3.9 yards per attempt last season. In 2023, when he won NFL Offensive Player of the Year, McCaffrey averaged 5.0 yards per rushing attempt.Shanahan seems to recognize more than ever that an emphasis must be placed on keeping McCaffrey’s legs fresh in 2026.Said Shanahan, “In order for us to be the running team we want to be, and in order to have Christian be as good as he needs to be throughout the year, we got to get him some help.”Download and follow the 49ers Talk Podcast

Kyle Shanahan adamant 49ers need to get Christian McCaffrey help at running back

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