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49ers’ Christian McCaffrey Receives Unfortunate News on Monday

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Michael Gallagher | Last updated Jul 7, 2025 5:19 PM ET

San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey dealt with some pretty significant injury issues early in his career with the Carolina Panthers.

So when he missed 13 games last season with Achilles tendinitis that sidelined him for the first eight games of the year then a PCL sprain that knocked him out for the final five games, 49ers fans likely were likely spiraling heading into the offseason.

As he heads into his final season before his 30th birthday, McCaffrey’s durability is being called into question.

In Jeremy Fowler’s annual offseason top 10 positional rankings for ESPN, McCaffrey dropped quite a few spots from the previous year when he was the top-ranked runner in the NFL according to executives, coaches and scouts.

In the 2025 rankings, McCaffrey dropped four spots to the No. 5 position, and his injury history is a big reason why he’s no longer perceived as the best at his position.

“He's a great player, but he's always had durability issues, even in college,” an anonymous NFL personnel executive said. “He's an elite trainer and takes great care of himself. He's just not a big body and will lose a step eventually.”

Despite his injury woes, McCaffrey is one of, if not the top running back in the league when healthy.

He’s just one season removed from leading the NFL in yards from scrimmage (2,023) and total touchdowns (21), and he’s rushed for over 1,000 yards in every season he’s played 16 or more games since becoming a starter.

Though his stock has diminished in the eyes of some NFL executives, others still seem to believe McCaffrey.

“He's still the prototype — and the best player on the field at times,” one NFC scout told Fowler.