Niners strategically surround McCaffrey with weapons, aiming to reduce his workload for long-term success and a playoff push.
The San Francisco 49ers have a go-to running back in Christian McCaffrey, but not in a typical sense. The do-it-all running back may not thump between the tackles 30 times like running backs of the 1990s, but he gets plenty of usage. He does so in a variety of ways.
McCaffrey is not only a top rusher but one of the top receivers in the NFL. Certainly, he is among the top receivers at the running back position. The Niners got a lot of mileage out of the running back in 2025.
The talented back out of Stanford proved worthy of the high usage, but whether or not it is sustainable is a different story. If San Francisco wants to maximize the player and get the most out of him for a long time, it may want to use the running back more sparingly without taking too much opportunity away. It's a delicate balance.
Jose Sanchez of San Francisco 49ers on SI discussed that delicate balance on Thursday. Per Sanchez, it's time for the Niners to distribute the offensive load and allow other players to pull their weight within the offense. The Niners writer wrote the following on that belief.
"(The Niners addressed McCaffrey's workload) by signing Mike Evans and even Christian Kirk. The 49ers desperately needed a boost at wide receiver, which they achieved by adding Evans and Kirk. Now, the 49ers have that dominant receiver in Evans that can win one-on-one matchups or perform well against tough defenses, like the Seattle Seahawks.
They have the vertical threat in Kirk that their offense has severely lacked. The 49ers' passing offense is viable again, which means Kyle Shanahan will go to it more often. McCaffrey's usage should be reduced thanks to that. The 49ers can rely on Brock Purdy's arm with his vast array of weapons to throw to instead."
San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy (13) hands off to running back Christian McCaffrey (23) against the Seattle Seahawks during the first half in an NFC Divisional Round game at Lumen Field. Steven Bisig-Imagn ImagesEvans and Kirk provide what could be one of the NFL's best receiving duos. Some are concerned with Evans' age, but that could be mitigated by Shanahan's scheme. It's easy to believe that it will. Add in a potential earlier-than-expected return of tight end George Kittle and the Niners are far from lacking in receiver playmaking.
There are several ways to manage the load for a running back. Rather than finding a player to take him off the field with a quality backup, the Niners have focused on surrounding him with high quality receivers.
McCaffrey's receiving numbers may go down this season, but likely not from deteriorating ability. The San Francisco running back will be allowed to pace himself and prepare for a playoff run. The Niners will look to make that happen in 2026.