49ers Plan to Share Load with McCaffrey

It's March 31st.

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Christian McCaffrey carried a massive load for the San Francisco 49ers last season.

More touches than any player in the league.

The team leaned on him hard to keep their offense rolling, but now everyone's saying they

got a dialed back starting in 2026.

Otherwise, they risk losing that elite version of him for good.

Kyle Shanahan made it clear at the NFL owner's meetings.

He admitted they planned to ease up on McCaffrey at the start of 2025, but injuries and receiver

issues made it tough to pull him off.

The field.

Still, Shanahan wants a true running back committee to keep McCaffrey fresh all year.

McCaffrey himself opened up about how grueling 2025 was, calling it his toughest season yet.

For the first time, he straight up welcoming another back to share the workload, signaling

he's beat and eyeing longevity at a high level.

With free agency options gone and rookies too risky, the 49ers will turn to Jordan James

and Isaac Garendo as backups.

Shanahan's really high on James, especially if he stays healthy.

Even shaving off five to eight snaps a game per match would be huge.

It's all about preserving McCaffrey so the 49ers can run strong for years to come.