When the San Francisco 49ers traded for Christian McCaffrey three years ago, they paid a high price for the star running back. In that time, they've gotten their money's worth when the two-time All-Pro has been on the field.
McCaffrey led the NFL in rushing yards and yards from scrimmage in 2023, and his absence in all but four games during his injury-plagued 2024 campaign was a big reason why San Francisco fell to the bottom of the NFC West. The idea was that, if healthy, he could be the bellcow the offense could rely upon while awaiting the return of Brandon Aiyuk's glacial-like recovery from a torn ACL.