ESPN Projects 49ers RB Christian McCaffrey to Have Another Down Season

If Christian McCaffrey bounces back to the player he was two years ago, the 49ers will be really good next season.

Unfortunately for the 49ers, McCaffrey is coming off bilateral Achilles tendonitis and a torn PCL. If he has lost just three percent of the speed, quickness and explosiveness that he had in 2023, he won't be a dominant player.

In fact, ESPN projects McCaffrey to have another down season in 2025.

"A healthy McCaffrey is a wonderful player, as most recently seen in 2023, but the 49ers -- and fantasy managers -- simply cannot count on his attendance," writes ESPN's senior fantasy football writer Eric Karabell. "The 49ers must monitor his workload and hope for the best. This is a bad combination for someone likely to be an early-round draft pick. Perhaps McCaffrey, 29, returns to a high level of performance and carries the 49ers and your fantasy team, but he's been a top-10 RB in only two of the past five seasons."

McCaffrey may have moments of greatness still ahead of him, but he seems like an F1 racecar with lots of miles on it that will break down frequently in the future.

Adjust your expectations accordingly.