Here’s something that tells you exactly how unique San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey has been in his career and continues to be.
In ESPN’s annual position rankings, McCaffrey came in at No. 4 overall — moving up 1 spot from the 2025 rankings but, more importantly, he was 1 of only 2 running backs 30 years or older to make the list, alongside 32-year-old Baltimore Ravens running back Derrick Henry.
McCaffrey, the 2025 NFL Comeback Player of the Year, had a wide variation in votes among league executives, coaches, and scouts — he received a vote for the No. 1 overall spot and also went unranked on several ballots.
McCaffrey, a 4-time NFL All-Pro, was named NFL Offensive Player of the Year in 2023, missed 13 games due to injuries in 2024, then bounced back with 2,126 yards from scrimmage and 17 total touchdowns in 2025.
“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,” one NFC executive anonymously told ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler on July 6. “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.”
Looking at Christian McCaffrey’s Massive Contract
Any talk about McCaffrey should go back to the massive amount of money he has the 49ers on the hook for over the next 2 seasons.
McCaffrey is still due $30 million in salary over the next 2 seasons from the 49ers, which brings his career earnings to a staggering $127.4 million. His current contract — a 2-year, $38 million contract extension signed before the 2024 season — still has him as the 2nd-highest paid running back in the NFL at an average of $19 million per season and just behind Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley at $20 million per year.
49ers Have Much Better Offense — On Paper
Somehow, the 49ers have put together what seems like a competent offense on paper. This has been done in the face of almost every possible crazy hurdle that might come up.
Those hurdles mainly land on the wide receiver position, where the 49ers made the head-scratching decision to draft a wide receiver in the 1st round with Ricky Pearsall, who spent the 1st part of his rookie season recovering from a gunshot wound and looked like a bust in his sophomore season.
There’s also the matter of the 4-year, $120 million contract extension signed by former NFL All-Pro Brandon Aiyuk before the 2024 season, played 7 games, that continues to hang over the team thanks to a prolonged social media campaign against the 49ers, who he broke off contact with early in the 2025 season and hasn’t played for since shredding his knee early in 2024.
The 49ers were roundly pilloried for drafting a wide receiver with their 1st pick in the 2026 NFL draft, taking Ole Miss star De’Zhuan Stribling in the 2nd round — especially because it came after the deft move of signing veteran wide receiver Mike Evans to a team-friendly 3-year, $42 million free-agent contract.
If NFL All-Pro tight end George Kittle can be healthy in 2026 following a torn Achilles tendon suffered in 2025, and with McCaffrey and quarterback Brock Purdy healthy as well, it’s hard not to see them as legitimate NFC contenders.
49ers RB Christian McCaffrey Called Out Over ‘Decline’ in NFL Rankings