Rival NFC exec sends Kyle Shanahan warning about Christian McCaffrey’s decline that could create tension around 49ers
The star running back is 30 years old, and that could generate a sequence of problems for San Francisco over the next few years.
The San Francisco 49ers have relied on running back Christian McCaffrey as one of the NFL’s most impactful offensive weapons over the past few seasons. But McCaffrey is now 30 years old, a dangerous age for his position, and a rival NFC executive‘s comments suggest the 49ers need to rethink how they deploy their star back if they want to keep him productive.
On Monday, ESPN insider Jeremy Fowler released his annual running back rankings, compiled from interviews with executives, coaches, and scouts around the league. McCaffrey actually climbed from fifth to fourth compared to last year’s rankings and even received a first-place vote from one of the voters.
But one NFC executive offered a revealing assessment to Fowler that could create some tension around the organization.
“He’s declined some — I think you will see more juice if he doesn’t have to be the focal point of both the run and pass game,” a rival NFC executive said. “But he’s such an elite overall player with versatility who takes care of himself that he can be a top guy for at least one more year.”
The numbers tell a split story
If you look at the raw production, McCaffrey hasn’t shown obvious signs of regression. Last season he played all 17 games, posted a career-high 311 rushing attempts, and finished with a career-high 413 touches, with 2,126 yards from scrimmage, and 17 touchdowns (10 rushing, seven receiving). Because the 49ers dealt with so many injuries, McCaffrey was the focal point of the offense in both the run and the pass game.
The efficiency metrics paint a more nuanced picture, though. Per PFF, McCaffrey’s elusive rating was 46.8, which improved from an injury-riddled 2024 season (33.2) but dropped significantly from 2023 (65.5). His yards after contact per attempt tell a similar story. Excluding 2024 because of limited playing time, McCaffrey posted 2.76 yards after contact per attempt in 2025, down from 3.42 in 2023. His breakaway rate also declined from 36.4 to 17.8.
Those numbers suggest McCaffrey wasn’t as effective as a pure runner last season.
The receiving production is where McCaffrey remains a dominant weapon. He posted 1.79 yards per route run last season, up from 1.35 in 2023. As a pass-catching option out of the backfield, he’s still among the best in the league, and that’s where he can make the most impact for San Francisco going forward.
Can the 49ers lighten the load?
This season, the circumstances around McCaffrey could change. If tight end George Kittle comes back healthy, and with the 49ers adding veteran wide receiver Mike Evans in free agency, coach Kyle Shanahan should have the pieces to take some of that workload off McCaffrey’s shoulders.
San Francisco acquired McCaffrey during the 2022 season, sending second-, third-, and fourth-round picks in the 2023 NFL Draft plus a fifth-round pick in 2024 to the Carolina Panthers. That trade was absolutely worth it, as McCaffrey has been a centerpiece of the offense since arriving. The question now is whether the 49ers can build enough around him so that he doesn’t have to carry the same burden.