49ers Christian McCaffrey Tabbed as a Bounce Back Candidate for 2025

The San Francisco 49ers are set to get a major piece of their puzzle back. Limited to only four games in 2024 due to injuries, Stanford Cardinal legend Christian McCaffrey is back and ready to go as the 49ers prepare for a resurgent 2025 campaign.

Taking part in all of training camp, McCaffrey himself declared that he feels great and is ready to go this fall. And it looks like he is not the only one that has confidence that he can turn heads this season.

On the ESPN show 'Get Up,' analyst Peter Schrager listed the players that he thinks are in line for a bounce-back season, putting CMC at No. 1. McCaffrey joins the likes of Aidan Hutchinson, Dak Prescott, Isiah Pacheco and Derrick Brown on the list.

McCaffrey, who was the NFL Offensive Player of the Year in 2023 while also dominating during the second half of 2022 after the 49ers acquired him, will be relied on heavily this season as the 49ers look to find a rhythm on offense.

Schrager's reasoning is simple: McCaffrey's track record when healthy. While an injury prone player during points of his career, McCaffrey is one of the best players in the NFL when he is healthy and has proven that year in and year out.

Putting together an offseason that has involved extensive preparation and making sure that his body holds up, Schrager is putting the brakes on anyone who is counting the 49ers out and sees McCaffrey as someone who can dictate San Francisco's success.

Since quarterback Brock Purdy took over as the 49ers' starting quarterback midway through the 2022 season, the team's offense has not only consistently been among the league's best--especially during the team's Super Bowl run in 2023--but also has been very balanced, with a strong running game to go along with a strong passing attack.

But while the 49ers remained ranked near the top of the league in total offense last season even without McCaffrey, they struggled to move the ball in certain situations and limped to the finish line, ending the year on a four-game losing streak.

In his first two seasons with the 49ers, McCaffrey totaled over 3,000 yards from scrimmage-- including over 2,000 in his last full season. Known for his pass catching ability, McCaffrey plays a pivotal role in all facets of the offense and with him now back and healthy, expect him to continue that role in 2025.