PFF: 49ers RB Christian McCaffrey is NFL's 7th-Best Running Back

It's hard to know where to rank Christian McCaffrey among NFL running backs in 2025.

In 2022 and 2023, he was arguably the best running back in the league. But he'll be 29 in June and he's coming off a season in which he played just four games. And when he played, he wasn't good. He looked like a different player.

This year, lots of analysts project Christian McCaffrey to have a major bounce-back season. That's why Pro Football Focus ranks him seventh among NFL running backs.

"We don’t need to tell you how good McCaffrey is when healthy," writes PFF's Trevor Sikkema. "He owns a 91.0 cumulative PFF rushing grade over the past three years and led all running backs in PFF WAR in 2023. All of his fully healthy seasons have yielded incredibly high volume and efficiency numbers.

"But 2024 was once again a season riddled with injuries. McCaffrey played in just four games due to calf, Achilles and knee ailments, and he will be 29 years old this year."

Here's what's so troubling about McCaffrey's performance last year: He was healthy when he was on the field. He did not rush back from bilateral Achilles tendonitis. He waited until it had gone away completely.

And when McCaffrey returned, he averaged just 4.0 yards per carry, forced just five missed tackles in four games and never topped 17 miles per hour. In 2023, he routinely hit 19 and 20 miles an hour when running. That's why PFF gave McCaffrey a lower rushing grade than Jordan Mason and Patrick Taylor Jr. last season.

So even if McCaffrey stays healthy this year, which is no guarantee -- he might not ever be the player he was before 2024.

Running backs age quickly.