There's been a dramatic shift for the San Francisco 49ers' offense through two weeks that could play a key role in their late-season success.
After years of wondering whether the 49ers would take steps toward scaling back running back Christian McCaffrey's workload, we're finally getting an answer in the affirmative. Through two weeks of the 2026 season McCaffrey is sitting at 20 carries and nine receptions.
This is particularly important in 2026 since McCaffrey led the NFL in touches a season ago with 413. The previous two times he led the league in touches he played a combined seven games the following two seasons. San Francisco had to change that trend and it appears they're doing so by whittling away at some of McCaffrey's offensive responsibilities.
Here are a few stats that illustrate how much McCaffrey's workload has been reduced:
Percentage of offensive snaps
- 2023: 81 percent
- 2024: 75 percent
- 2025: 83 percent
- 2026: 54 percent
Carries through first two weeks
- 2023: 42
- 2024: 32
- 2025: 35
- 2026: 20
Touches through first two weeks
- 2023: 48
- 2024: 42
- 2025: 50
- 2026: 29
Another way to illustrate how dramatic this change is is that McCaffrey has fewer total touches in two games this year than he had carries alone in the previous three seasons. That's especially remarkable considering in 2024 he was returning off of bilateral Achilles tendinitis.
The lighter workload has McCaffrey looking more spry than he did last year while his yards per rush have climbed back up to 4.6. That's his best mark since 2023, the fifth-best of his career and nearly a full yard better than last season's 3.9 yards per rush. It's worth noting here the last two times in his career McCaffrey has averaged under 4.0 yards per rush he followed it up with seasons averaging 5.0 and 4.5 per tote.
What the 49ers appear to be doing is utilizing backup running back Kaelon Black as more of workhorse between the 20s and in non-passing situations.
Black this season is playing a whopping 39 percent of the offensive snaps.
Last season's No. 2 RB Brian Robinson played only 17 percent of the snaps. In 2023 backup RBs Elijah Mitchell and Jordan Mason played 15 and 10 percent of the snaps, respectively according to Pro Football Reference. In 2024, 49ers backup RBs played 16 total offensive snaps in the three games McCaffrey started and finished.
The 49ers third-round rookie RB is also out-carrying McCaffrey 21-20 after two games. At his current pace of 10.5 carries per game, Black will eclipse Robinson's total carries from last season by Week 10 (the 49ers' ninth game). No RB on the 49ers has ever been within 195 carries of McCaffrey, much less out-carried him over a full season.
McCaffrey is still going to be the team's go-to back in the red zone and in the passing game despite Black's expanded role in the backfield.
This season McCaffrey has six red zone carries and five inside the 10. Black has just two red zone carries and none inside the 10.
McCaffrey also leads the 49ers with 12 targets while running routes on 84.6 percent of the 39 pass plays for which he's been on the field. His 33 routes run trail only wide receivers Mike Evans and Deebo Samuel according to Pro Football Focus. For comparison, Black has played on 22 pass plays and run 18 routes − the fewest on the team among players who have played in both games.
There's still a significant role for McCaffrey in the 49ers' offense, and his ability to stay healthy for 17 weeks plus the postseason is one of the keys to the 49ers making a deep playoff run. By lightening his workload, especially in the run game, San Francisco is giving the 30-year-old an opportunity to stay healthy and to stay fresh for longer. At his current clip McCaffrey is on pace for just 247 touches − 166 fewer than last year and his fewest in a full season since his rookie year.
The 49ers have managed to figure out how to operate offensively without McCaffrey on the field for every snap. By limiting his workload in some areas while maintaining his presence in the red zone and as a receiver, San Francisco may have found the formula for maximizing their superstar running back's effectiveness in his Age 30 season.
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This article originally appeared on Niners Wire: 49ers offense made dramatic, much-needed change in first two weeks
