Shanahan Dials Back McCaffrey's Workload

0:00It's March 30th. This is NFL News Today, driven by AI following the league in real time. San Francisco 49ers hit coach Kyle Shanahan just laid it out straight. He's dialing back Christian McCaffrey's workload, big time in 20, 26. After McCaffrey balled out in 2025 with over 1,200 rushing yards and 924 receiving yards on 2, 102 catches, Shanahan knows they can't ride him that hard again. Getting off a rough 2024, where injuries sideline him to only 4 games, but still hit a career high 311 carries. McCaffrey's station epic comeback. He snagged the NFL comeback player of the year award for that monster season, proving he's still elite even under pressure. Shanahan gave props to McCaffrey's impact, saying the offense thrived partly because of him, especially with all those receiver injuries forcing the. Team to keep him on the field, non-stop. They turned them into a top 5 passing attack, despite the chaos, but backups just couldn't

1:01match his past catching skills. Now looking at the numbers, McCaffrey's yards per carry dip from 5.0 in 2023 to 3.9 last year. A clear. Sign his legs need a break to stay explosive. Shanahan's pushing for more running back help to build that ground game right. With a healthier roster on deck, the Niners aim to keep McCaffrey fresh and dominant for the long haul, setting up what could be their best run yet.