It’s no accident the 49ers had trouble in the red zone last season with McCaffrey unable to dent the end zone. Any hope they have of reclaiming the NFC West and becoming a factor in the postseason rests with a return of the McCaffrey of old and not an “old” McCaffrey.

Christian McCaffrey isn't built like a workhorse, but he has been used like one since college. At Stanford, they gave 731 touches in 38 games -- almost 20 per game. And that was before players could get paid.

Last season, McCaffrey carried the football just 50 times for 202 yards and no touchdowns, while catching 15 passes for 146 yards in four games. Back in 2023, he racked up 1,459 yards and 14 touchdowns on 272 carries to go along with 67 receptions for 564 yards and seven more scores.