The San Francisco 49ers had made the Super Bowl, had deep playoff runs, and had been among the best teams in the NFL before acquiring Christian McCaffrey.
McCaffrey playing in a game a few days after the trade says everything you need to know about the player. After that game against the Chiefs, he took off. Since then, McCaffrey has consistently found himself in the top-5 of MVP voting. Not many running backs can say that.
As we know, McCaffrey is no ordinary running back. The gravity that he commands
as a receiver is unlike any player Kyle Shanahan has had in the Bay Area. And Shanahan has taken full advantage of that.
After missing all but four games in the 2024 season, McCaffrey played 932 snaps in 2025, which was nearly 83% of the team’s snaps. McCaffrey was the 49ers’ offense last year. He had 10 games with at least 45 receiving yards. He forced a league-high 113 missed tackles, per Next Gen Stats.
Understanding that it was a struggle to generate offense, Shanahan went out of his way to target McCaffrey behind the line of scrimmage. CMC had 73 receptions behind the line of scrimmage, which was 35 more than the next-closest running back. McCaffrey still managed 697 receiving yards and 35 first downs.
Off a season with 311 rushing attempts and 102 receptions, Shanahan’s hand will be forced to dial back the touches for McCaffrey.
Basic Info
Age: 30
Experience: 9 accrued seasons
Height: 5’10
Weight: 210 pounds
Cap Status
McCaffrey is under contract through the 2026 season. This is the final year of McCaffrey having a relatively cheap cap number.
McCaffrey’s base salary is $1.3 million in 2026. That number spikes to $16.85 million next season. That is in addition to McCaffrey’s annual prorated bonuses.
He has a $18.6 million signing bonus that pays out $3.94 million this year and next. Plus a $24.79 option bonus that will be paid out $4.95 in 2026 and 2027.McCaffrey’s base salary is $1.3 million in 2026. That number spikes to $16.85 million next season.
That is in addition to McCaffrey’s annual prorated bonuses. He has a $18.6 million signing bonus that pays out $3.94 million this year and next. Plus a $24.79 million option bonus that will be paid out $4.95 million in 2026 and 2027.
That’s how you get a cap number of $26 million during McCaffrey’s 31-year-old season next year.
If the 49ers were to release McCaffrey after this season, they would save $17.5 million in cap space. The alternative could be restructuring McCaffrey’s contract, which would save $11.7 million in cap space. The latter option does not have any dead money, while the former has $8.9 million.
Is this the final year we see McCaffrey in a 49ers uniform?
Salary cap and age will have a big say in this. There is no arguing about McCaffrey’s impact and what he means to the 49ers. He’s incredible. But we know how Father Time is with running backs once they hit 30.
We also know what history says about players coming off 400-touch seasons. Injuries are as close to inevitable as it gets. If it’s not injuries, it’s the production that falls off a cliff.
It’s difficult to imagine McCaffrey not being successful in a Shanahan offense with the weapons currently on the roster. The added speed and WR1 at wide receiver should only make McCaffrey more dangerous out of the backfield.
The data tells us McCaffrey has lost a step. That doesn’t mean he’s any less effective, as evidenced by his missed tackle rate. But the 49ers will have to make a decision on McCaffrey with a ballooned salary.
The team just used a third-round pick on Kaelon Black. Jordan James is 22. If those two look like they can be the future, the 49ers may turn the page from McCaffrey. If not, a restructure may be in the works.
