Much has been made about the injury-plagued season we saw from San Francisco 49ers RB Christian McCaffrey in 2024 with a training camp calf injury costing him the majority of the year.
When you take McCaffrey’s injury history over his entire career into consideration, it makes sense why one NFL Analyst believes the star running back has a wider range of outcomes than normal entering the 2025 NFL Season.
How Concerning is the Injury History for Christian McCaffrey Entering 2025?
Christian McCaffrey was in the league MVP conversation back in 2023 with over 2,000 yards from scrimmage and 21 total touchdowns.
Yet, the injuries beginning to pile up for a veteran back has caught the eye of PFF NFL Analyst Nathan Jahnke entering the upcoming season — which gives him an uncertain floor of production paired with MVP upside in 2025.
Jahnke wrote, “McCaffrey’s downfall in recent seasons has been his injuries. He played every game in his first three seasons. In 2020, he suffered an ankle injury, an A/C joint sprain and glute strain, leading him to only play three games. In 2021, he suffered a hamstring strain followed by an ankle sprain, leading him to play in seven games. This past year, he dealt with Achilles tendinitis in both feet. He returned for four games but then a PCL sprain ended his season.”
The one thing you don’t want to see for a veteran back is a lengthy injury resume seeing new additions in their late twenties. Prior to the 2024 season, McCaffrey was a high-volume ball carrier who managed to stay healthy for his entire tenure with the 49ers.
If McCaffrey returns to that form, then it is easy to see why anyone believes he can still make a huge impact in 2025.
Jahnke added, “By all accounts, McCaffrey should be at 100% for the start of the season. However, he is 29 years old, past the age when running backs peak. McCaffrey wasn’t very effective in his four games last season, but he likely wasn’t 100% in those games. He could be back to his normal self, in which case, he could be the top overall running back in fantasy. There is also a chance we never see the same player he was in 2023, when he was a first-team All-Pro. There is also a chance he never returns to being that player, or injuries continue to pile up, in which case, McCaffrey wouldn’t be worth drafting.”
Does Christian McCaffrey Still Have Elite Upside in 2025?
McCaffrey has certainly proven he is in the conversation for best running back in the league… when he is healthy. Yet, we didn’t see that elite difference maker even when McCaffrey was ‘healthy’ last year.
Was McCaffrey ever fully healthy in 2024? The numbers certainly suggest the answer was no.
McCaffrey scored no touchdowns and failed to top 100 yards rushing in the four games he appeared in last season. Those numbers simply aren’t what NFL fans have been accustomed to seeing from a healthy McCaffrey in this 49ers offense.
All reports this offseason have been positive regarding McCaffrey’s health, which is certainly leaves room for optimism regarding his outlook entering his ninth year in the league.
Veteran running backs can fall from grace very quickly in their late twenties, but McCaffrey has proven throughout his career that he is a dominant player when healthy.
Given how great McCaffrey has been throughout his career, most may be willing to give McCaffrey’s struggles last year a pass and believe he is capable of producing one more great season prior to turning 30 years old.
PFF Analyst Believes Christian McCaffrey Has ‘Wider Range of Outcomes’ in 2025