49ers aim to reduce Christian McCaffrey workload moving forward

San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey delivered an outstanding 2025 campaign, totaling 2,126 scrimmage yards and 17 touchdowns. The performance was even more impressive, given that injuries limited him to just four games in 2024.

McCaffrey's bounce-back season earned him NFL Comeback Player of the Year honors. He played 83 percent of the 49ers' offensive snaps, remaining the focal point of head coach Kyle Shanahan's offense thanks to his impact as both a runner and receiver.

Still, with McCaffrey set to turn 30 ahead of the 2026 season—and given the physical toll of the position—Shanahan acknowledged the need to manage his workload better.

Shanahan made a similar point last offseason but admitted the 49ers were unable to follow through.

"I don't want Christian to have to take all that," Shanahan told reporters on Monday morning at the NFL meetings in Phoenix, Arizona. "It was amazing that he did, that he was able to do that. The reason it's so hard to get Christian out is because of how much he affects everything in the pass game, even when he's not getting the ball. It's like having a receiver out there."

McCaffrey's versatility creates constant matchup problems. If matched up against a linebacker, he often has a clear advantage, and his presence opens opportunities for the rest of the 49ers' pass-catchers if a defensive back is assigned to cover him.

Injuries across the roster also contributed to his heavy usage in 2025. Despite those challenges, San Francisco's passing offense still finished fifth in the NFL.

"I think that has to do with Christian being on the field," Shanahan added. "We went into the year wanting to take care of him a little bit more, but the way the offense went, I think more with the receivers and the injuries we had, it was hard to get him off.

"It's cool to have him out there because he did help our offense so much. But in order for us to be the running team we want to be, to have Christian be as good as he can be throughout the whole year, we've got to get some help."

49ers could lean more on Jordan James or Isaac Guerendo

Brian Robinson Jr. served as McCaffrey's primary backup last season but is now with the Atlanta Falcons. If the 49ers don't add a veteran, they could turn to younger internal options like Jordan James and Isaac Guerendo.

"Jordan James came on really strong at the end of last year (in the playoffs)," Shanahan said. "But he missed so much in the beginning, he kind of just missed his window to pass some other people up. I wish I would have gotten him on the field more than I did. He got in there for Seattle at the end, but he needs to take that next step.

"Hopefully, they can have a healthy offseason. We do need some better runners to help Christian out. I think Jordan James did show that."

While James saw limited action in the postseason, Guerendo didn't record a snap. He'll need a strong offseason to carve out a role—and potentially secure a roster spot.

"Isaac has shown us that he can be very good in the pass game," Shanahan said. "You guys saw his rookie year, that he is a good runner. We're not a big three-man rotation team, so you've got to really be that one or two guy to get in there.

"If you are that third guy, there's a chance, if someone gets hurt, but if not, you'd better be helping us out on special teams."

Guerendo's impact in the passing game

If the goal is to have a running back behind Christian McCaffrey who can contribute as both a runner and receiver, why wasn't Isaac Guerendo used more? After all, he recorded 15 catches for 152 yards as a rookie in 2024.

"He just wasn't our second-best runner last year," Shanahan said bluntly. "Isaac got his opportunity in his rookie year when people got hurt, and he did very good with those opportunities."

The 2025 season was vastly different, though. While the team had to overcome several injuries throughout the year, the running back group remained relatively unscathed.

"This was the first year that I can remember coaching that not one of our running backs got hurt," Shanahan admitted. "Our starter was healthy the whole year, and Brian Robinson was healthy the whole year."

That left limited opportunities for less-experienced players like Jordan James and Guerendo. Heading into 2026, the 49ers appear intent on changing that to ensure that McCaffrey has another healthy season.