Is 49ers Running Back Christian McCaffrey Underrated this Year?

Running backs typically don't age well.

It's not uncommon for a running back to go from elite to subpar within the span of a year or two. Once they hit 29 years old, their best years usually are behind them.

Which brings us to Christian McCaffrey. He just turned 29 last month and he's coming off a miserable season in which he played just four games and scored zero touchdowns. Before last year, he was considered the best running back in the NFL. Now , ESPN ranks him fifth. And CBS says that's an overreaction to 2024.

"He dealt with bilateral Achilles tendonitis last summer and ultimately missed the first eight games of the year," writes CBS Sports' Jared Dubin. "He didn't look like himself upon return and lasted only three-plus games before suffering a season-ending PCL injury.

"But we should remember the situations of Barkley and Henry this time a year ago. They were each coming off arguably the worst seasons of their respective careers as rushers. Barkley had averaged just 3.9 yards per carry in 2023 and posted a terrible 40.1% success rate. Henry tied a career-low with 4.2 yards per carry and was out-snapped by Tyjae Spears. They change teams and suddenly they're the two best backs in the league.

"McCaffrey is still going to be in Kyle Shanahan's offense, and he might have an even bigger role in it than when we last saw him healthy thanks to the departure of Deebo Samuel and Brandon Aiyuk's torn ACL. He's reportedly healthy now and, while he will be 29 years old this season, Henry was 30 for most of last year and we saw what he did.

"Only time will tell what McCaffrey still has left in the tank, but it sure seems like we've seen this movie before, where a player who is very obviously among the true class at his position goes at least somewhat undervalued for reasons having little to do with his talent."

I have some issues with Dubin's analysis.

Expecting McCaffrey to be dominant into his 30s simply because Henry has been able to accomplish that feat seems like a stretch. Henry is extremely big. Plus, he's one of the greatest running backs of all time. He's an outlier.

McCaffrey is built more like Marshall Faulk, who was one of the best players in the NFL until he hit 29. Then he fell off relatively quickly.

Given all the injuries McCaffrey suffered last season, the 49ers would be wise to limit his workload, not expand it. The days of him gaining at least 1,800 yards from scrimmage and scoring 10 touchdowns probably are over.