Not many people would’ve been willing to put down money that a running back not named Christian McCaffrey would lead the San Francisco 49ers in carries in their season opener against the Los Angeles Rams.
But that’s exactly what happened Thursday in Australia in San Francisco’s dominating 27-7 victory over their division rival.
McCaffrey still led the team in rushing with 68 yards on 10 carries (he also added 5 catches for 20 yards), but rookie third-round pick Kaelon Black wasn’t far behind him with 65 yards rushing on 14 carries.
Some fans were surprised to see Black carrying the ball more than the former Offensive Player of the year; however, head coach Kyle Shanahan confirmed there was a reason why.
McCaffrey’s Workload Reduced Due to Cramping
The 49ers drafted Black with the goal of giving McCaffrey more rest throughout the season and keeping him fresh for the playoffs.
If they split the carries every game like they did against the Rams, that plan might just work.
Though McCaffrey only rushed 10 times against L.A., Shanahan actually revealed he was battling an ailment that kept him on the sideline more than fans were expecting.
“I thought that both [McCaffrey and Black] ran really well and really hard,” Shanahan told reporters. “I’ll see on the plane exactly how good it was, but it felt good out there.
“That was the goal for us coming into this, trying to balance it out more, whether it was with Kaelon, whether it was getting Deebo some carries. Then Christian went out a little bit with cramps, but he didn’t miss much, came back in — they all helped today.”
Fortunately for the 49ers, they didn’t need McCaffrey to don his Superman cape on Thursday.
Given McCaffrey is coming off a season in which he registered career-highs in carries (311) and touches (413), the 49ers coaching staff likely is thrilled knowing they can turn to Black when needed.
Kaelon Black Puts NFL World on Notice
For years, the 49ers have tried to find a reliable backup capable of giving McCaffrey some much needed rest.
Their best option was Jordan Mason, who rushed for 789 yards and 3 TDs back in 2024, though most of his production came as a fill-in starter while McCaffrey was injured.
San Francisco has also cycled through Brian Robinson (400 yards, 2 TDs in 2025), Elijah Mitchell (281 yards, 2 TDs in 2024), Isaac Guerendo (420 yards, 4 TDs in 2024), and Jeff Wilson Jr. (468 yards, 2 TDs in 2022).
But after his performance against the Rams, many believe the 49ers finally found what they’re looking for in Black, who was pleasantly surprised to see he was heavily involved offensively in Week 1.
“Honestly, I didn’t [know I would get that many carries], but I was up for it, coaches got me prepared, and just being locked in and keyed into the details as much as we could this week,” Black told reporters.
“I felt like I was out there doing my thing. … I’m just thankful the coaches trust me to go out there and do what I do best. O-line blocking great, tight ends blocking great, receivers — everybody is just all together.”
49ers’ Kyle Shanahan Reveals Christian McCaffrey Played Through Injury vs Rams