The San Francisco 49ers endured a wildly disappointing 2024 campaign. After nearly winning Super Bowl LVIII against the Kansas City Chiefs, they appeared to be in a great spot to make another deep playoff run last year. Instead, they struggled with injuries before the season even started, and they ended up crawling to a 6-11 record. One of the many players who was plagued by the injury bug was superstar running back Christian McCaffrey.
In his first full season with San Francisco in 2023, McCaffrey put together a historic season that showed just why the team gave up a massive haul to acquire him from the Carolina Panthers. In 2024, his injury woes reemerged, as he played in just four games. Despite that, one of his All-Pro teammates, fullback Kyle Juszczyk, believes that a bounce-back campaign is in store for McCaffrey.
Kyle Juszczyk Has High Hopes for Christian McCaffrey in 2025
Hopes were high for McCaffrey ahead of the 2024 campaign. The year before, he racked up 1,459 yards and 14 touchdowns on the ground, in addition to 67 receptions for 564 yards and seven more touchdowns as a receiver. He ended up earning the third Pro Bowl selection of his career, a spot on the All-Pro First-Team, and the Offensive Player of the Year Award.
McCaffrey never really got off the ground last season, though. He missed the start of the year due to Achilles tendonitis, and it wasn’t until Week 10 that he made his season debut. As previously noted, he lasted only four games before he suffered a PCL injury in Week 13, which ended his campaign before he had a shot to get going.
Now, McCaffrey is fully healthy ahead of the 2025 season, and the pressure will be on him to return to the form he enjoyed back in 2023 after the team shed a massive amount of talent this offseason. Juszczyk believes he has what it takes to reemerge as one of the top offensive playmakers in the league, as he labeled McCaffrey the “best player in the NFL” ahead of the upcoming season.
“Christian is arguably the best player in the NFL,” Juszczyk said in an interview with Vic Tafur of The Athletic. “He was the offensive player of the year two years ago. He changes everything, and he looks incredible. He looks so healthy, he looks so explosive.”
49ers Hoping Christian McCaffrey Can Produce in 2025
GettyChristian McCaffrey running the ball against the Packers.
When he’s healthy, McCaffrey’s ability to make plays both as a runner and a receiver out of the backfield makes him one of the most dangerous players in the league. The problem, of course, has been staying on the field, as last season was the third year in McCaffrey’s career where he has suited up in seven or fewer games.
If McCaffrey is healthy, he figures to play a big role in the Niners’ offensive game plan, especially after the team traded Deebo Samuel to the Washington Commanders this offseason. And in order for the team to find their way back to the playoffs, they will be banking heavily on McCaffrey performing like he did in 2023, because if he doesn’t, they could be subjected to another disappointing campaign.
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