The San Francisco 49ers have a healthy Christian McCaffrey back in their squad. However, at 29 years old, the mileage is starting to add up in his legs, so one NBC Sports NFL commentator believes San Francisco will need to adapt to the aging running back.
On Friday's edition of "Pro Football Talk," Michael Holley shared his expectations for McCaffrey and revealed that if the 49ers want to use their star player as they did in 2023, they will be disappointed.
"I have no doubt that he is back to what he was physically," Holley said. "But can he stay that way if the 49ers use him the way they used to use him? He's an amazing back. He's a guy who can run inside, outside, catch the ball. He's a focal point of their offense.
"But if you use a 29-year-old back that way with a history of injuries—and not just San Francisco, I think there was a season he played six games [for the Carolina Panthers], went to San Francisco, didn't have any problems—last year, he plays four games.
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"And so it starts to build up after a while. You can't just bounce back as easily from these injuries. I think he is physically back to where he was, but I just don't think the Niners can use him the way they're used to using him and expect to have him the entire season."
With no McCaffrey last season, the 49ers were an underwhelming team, going 6-11 and finishing at the bottom of the NFC West division. San Francisco likely wants the version of McCaffrey from 2023, when he recorded 2,023 yards and 21 touchdowns from scrimmage.
Still, if the player's body can only handle so much, Kyle Shanahan and his offensive coaches will need to adjust the offense to avoid overworking McCaffrey and keep him healthy for the entire 2025 NFL season.