Even 49ers’ Kyle Shanahan knows he overused Christian McCaffrey in 2025

No player on the San Francisco 49ers was used more than All-Pro running back Christian McCaffrey, who earned a whopping 413 touches during the 2025 NFL season.

The 49ers know they can’t risk overusing their key offensive weapon, and head coach Kyle Shanahan knows they must reduce his workload in the upcoming season.

“Last year was the worst we had been at it,” Shanahan said via Coach Yak on X. “One of the most amazing years I have seen by a guy in terms of just heart. The fact that he could get his body ready every Sunday for 17 weeks was amazing to me. And the load he had to carry with all the injuries and issues we had at receiver, he was such a pivotal part in the pass game and obviously the run game. For him to be able to make it through there was huge. But that’s not what we want for him. I want him to have more juice. To be more fresher. He doesn’t have to take that beating when it’s unnecessary. I’m hoping we can have some other guys step up more this year. So you don’t feel like you need him on the field every play. He’s never going to want to hear that. If you insinuate that, he will be extremely insulted by me, but I hope he truly believes it’s for his best because I believe that.”

On 311 carries, McCaffrey accumulated 1,202 total yards with 17 rushing touchdowns, along with 924 receiving yards on 102 receptions. He also earned AP Comeback Player of the Year honors.

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