Contract theory about Christian McCaffrey missing 49ers practices emerges

Eyebrows were raised when it was learned that San Francisco 49ers star running back Christian McCaffrey had been held out of four consecutive practices due to what was referred to as "tightness." 

Earlier this summer, the Atlanta Falcons and Bijan Robinson agreed to a three-year, $75M contract extension that included $51M guaranteed. The Detroit Lions subsequently made Jahmyr Gibbs the new highest-paid running back in NFL history when the Lions gave him a three-year, $67.5M deal that could be worth up to $75.75M and included $51.5M guaranteed. 

For an update posted on Monday morning, NFL insider Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk shared an interesting theory regarding what McCaffrey is and isn't doing this week.

Is Christian McCaffrey making a business decision by not practicing? 

"There’s speculation in league circles that McCaffrey has tapped the brakes on his practice time in an effort to get an adjustment to his contract, which pays out a non-guaranteed $12.5M in 2026," Florio wrote. "The timeline fits the hypothesis. Days after Falcons running back Bijan Robinson and Lions running back Jahmyr Gibbs pushed the new-money APY to $22.5M per year, McCaffrey stopped practicing."

When healthy and at his best, McCaffrey is considered one of the league's top overall playmakers. The StatMuse website shows he led the NFL for the 2025 regular season with 413 touches, and he was second with 2,126 scrimmage yards. To compare, Robinson ended the campaign with a league-best 2,298 scrimmage yards. 

Christian McCaffrey wanted "a sweetener" before the 2025 season? 

McCaffrey is signed through the 2027 season. However, Florio mentioned that Chris Simms said during Monday's edition of the "Pro Football Talk Live" program that McCaffrey may have "wanted a sweetener before the" 2025 campaign got underway. 

"That didn’t happen," Florio explained. "If he wanted one then, he’ll want one now — especially after how much he contributed to a team that scrambled to hold things together through another rash of injuries."

McCaffrey has no reason to risk his health by playing in the 49ers' preseason games at the Los Angeles Chargers this coming Thursday or at the Las Vegas Raiders on Aug. 27. Then again, perhaps San Francisco could get McCaffrey back on the practice field by giving the 30-year-old a bump in his pay.