Back in 2024, the San Francisco 49ers found out the hard way what it's like not to have All-Pro running back Christian McCaffrey for the overwhelming majority of the regular season, scuffling to a 6-11 record after injuries kept CMC to a mere four games.
That forgettable year followed an exemplary one—McCaffrey secured the 2023 Offensive Player of the Year award with 2,023 all-purpose yards, spurring the Niners on to a Super Bowl appearance.
San Francisco is hoping history doesn't repeat itself. And it also hopes McCaffrey's status as an older, injury-prone cornerstone doesn't come back to be a detriment to 2026's hopes.
McCaffrey wowed in 2025, leading the league with 413 touches, amassing 2,126 all-purpose yards and nearly reaching the elusive 1,000/1,000-yard club for the second time in his career, despite a sluggish 3.9 yards-per-carry average, the worst since joining the 49ers in 2022.
Speaking of history, back when he joined the exclusive 1,000/1,000 club in 2019 when he was with the Carolina Panthers, the following year saw that injury trend begin. CMC appeared in just 10 games with Carolina combined over the next two seasons.
So, should McCaffrey stay fully healthy in 2026, it'll go against the grain, trend-wise. Now at age 30, and with plenty of mileage on his body, it'll be a tall order to avoid what's been a troubling injury trend.
But that's not the only issue.
In many ways, CMC defines a greater problem the Niners have created for themselves, one that seems to be teetering on the brink of disaster.
49ers have an aging topheavy roster, Christian McCaffrey defines it
McCaffrey staying healthy in 2025 was a key factor in San Francisco overcoming a serious rash of injuries elsewhere on the roster, yet it's troubling to see how many older star players the 49ers have without substantial depth behind them.
Some serious whiffs in the NFL Draft over the last four years have likely led to this reliance on elder standouts, including CMC. He, tight end George Kittle, left tackle Trent Williams, wide receiver Mike Evans and even fullback Kyle Juszczyk are all on the wrong side of 30 years old, and there aren't exactly any established and reliable backups to support any of them in case of injury.
Looking specifically at McCaffrey's case, should he suffer a serious injury, the Niners would be forced to rely on either a rookie in Kaelon Black, an untested second-year pro in Jordan James, or a blacklisted commodity in Isaac Guerendo—a lackluster trio of unproven options. At least a year ago, San Francisco acquired Brian Robinson Jr. to back up McCaffrey, but the former is no longer with the squad now.
Across the board, especially on offense, the 49ers have plenty of star power at the top of the depth chart but awfully few backups to rely upon.
Combine that with injury trends, such as that of McCaffrey, it sets up for a potential catastrophe the Niners desperately want to avoid.
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