The San Francisco 49ers have not seen a boost from the return of RB Christian McCaffrey, and they are now being told to make a change.
San Francisco spent the first half of the season eagerly awaiting for McCaffrey to return from his bilateral Achilles injuries. However, his return hasn’t sparked the 49ers offense, as the team has scored just 40 points over the past two weeks and McCaffrey’s numbers have been mediocre at best.
That’s why SI.com writer Grant Cohn believes the team must utilize RBs Jordan Mason and Isaac Guerendo going forward.
“Adding McCaffrey to Mason and Guerendo only should make the 49ers offense better,” Cohn wrote. “But instead of using all three running backs, the 49ers have used mainly McCaffrey, who’s clearly not 100 percent himself yet… But for the time being, McCaffrey is hurting the running game. The 49ers need to redistribute some of his carries to Mason and Guerendo to balance out the offense.”
There’s merit to the idea, as Mason and Guerendo were both finding success in McCaffrey’s stead. Now, the Niners’ reliance on their top offensive weapon is seemingly limiting the offense.
McCaffrey Still Working His Way Back
Achilles injuries are some of the worst to suffer in sports, as they take tremendous amounts of recovery time. With McCaffrey, even his tendinitis has prompted a prolonged recovery as he missed months of the season.
And while he’s back, he’s clearly not at the same level he was in 2023. McCaffrey is averaging just 3.7 yards per carry and has ran the ball 32 times in the past two games. Unsurprisingly, he’s been more effective as a receiver (10 receptions, 95 yards) but has yet to score a touchdown or consistently produce big plays.
That’s completely understandable considering the nature of the injury. But the 49ers need to figure out how they can best utilize him in his current state. At 5-5 and 4th in the NFC West, San Francisco doesn’t have the luxury of trial and error.
Going back to Guerendo and Mason more should make McCaffrey more effective too, but it’s going to require 49ers HC Kyle Shanahan to make that change.
49ers HC Speaks on Mason’s Reduced Role
After a blistering start to the season that featured 447 rushing yards and 3 touchdowns in the first four games, Jordan Mason looked like a revelation. He was playing like an All-Pro back, which is exactly what San Francisco needed.
However, Mason got banged up and cooled off not long before McCaffrey’s return. In the past two weeks, the 25-year-old RB has been phased out almost completely, receiving just three touches.
Shanahan was asked about Mason’s role in his November 20 press conference and gave a mixed answer about getting the Niners’ No.2 RB the ball.
“Yeah, I like all those guys playing. But it depends on the situation, depends how many times you’re getting the ball, it depends on the drives, it depends if we’re going to put two backs out there. When you do two backs, then you’ve got to take either a big off or another receiver. But I’m not always thinking of how to get Christian off.”
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49ers Urged to Reduce Christian McCaffrey’s Role Going Forward