Christian McCaffrey faced the usual offseason grilling about his usage after logging a league‑leading 413 touches last season. At the organized team activity, the 29‑year‑old emphasized that practice, not games, determines workload, noting that players must be ready for every snap when the clock starts. He likened the approach to a shooter not being limited on the court.

McCaffrey’s 2025 campaign produced 2,126 scrimmage yards, second in the league, and 17 touchdowns, earning Comeback Player of the Year honors despite missing 13 games with Achilles and knee injuries. Only eight players in two decades have recorded 400‑plus touches in a season, and he now seeks to replicate that output for a second time, a feat no one has yet achieved.

Shanahan plans to limit McCaffrey’s reps in practice while keeping him on the field for full games, hoping the strategy restores the 49ers’ explosive ground game that fell to 46 runs of ten‑plus yards last year. With backup running back Kaelon Black arriving and Jordan James moving up, the depth chart will test whether San Francisco can sustain its rushing attack without overtaxing its star.