Christian McCaffrey may be in line for a reduced workload in 2026 after Kyle Shanahan acknowledged the toll last season placed on the San Francisco 49ers star, according to a recent report from NBC Sports’ Matt Maiocco.
Speaking Monday at the NFL Annual Meeting, Shanahan reflected on his running back group’s durability but pointed to a need for better balance moving forward.
“This is the first year that I can remember coaching that not one of our running backs got hurt,” Shanahan said.
McCaffrey, 29, wrapped up his ninth NFL season after handling a career-high workload in 2025, rushing 311 times for 1,202 yards while adding 102 receptions for 924 yards en route to AP Comeback Player of the Year honors. Despite the production, Shanahan made it clear that level of usage is not sustainable moving forward.
“Christian had an unbelievable year last year, but he definitely needs help,” Shanahan said.
San Francisco’s depth behind McCaffrey proved limited. Brian Robinson Jr., who served as the No. 2 running back, signed with the Atlanta Falcons in free agency after logging 92 carries for 400 yards. The 49ers did not feature a third running back until rookie Jordan James saw action in a lopsided playoff loss to the Seattle Seahawks.
James and Isaac Guerendo currently project as the primary backups entering the offseason program.
“Hopefully, they can have a healthy offseason,” Shanahan said. “We do need some better runners to help Christian. I think Jordan James did show that. Isaac has shown us he can be very good in the pass game.”
Shanahan said the coaching staff initially planned to scale back McCaffrey’s snaps during the 17-game season. Instead, injuries at wide receiver and shifting offensive needs kept him on the field for 83 percent of the team’s snaps, his highest usage since arriving via trade in 2022.
“We went into the year wanting to take care of him a little bit more,” Shanahan said. “But the way the offense went, I think more with the receivers and the injuries that we had, it was hard to get him off (the field). And it was cool to have him out there because he did help our offense so much.”
49ers seek help to ease Christian McCaffrey's workload
McCaffrey’s presence remained central to San Francisco’s offensive structure. His versatility influenced defensive alignments and created opportunities in the passing game, helping the 49ers finish fifth in the NFL with 244.5 passing yards per game behind quarterback Brock Purdy and backup Mac Jones.
“With the health issues we had with receivers last year, the guys in and out, we were still able to be a top-five passing team,” Shanahan said. “I think that had to do with Christian being on the field.”
Still, the heavy usage showed signs of wear. McCaffrey averaged 3.9 yards per carry in 2025, a drop from the 5.0 mark he posted during his 2023 Offensive Player of the Year campaign.
Shanahan emphasized that finding the right rotation will be a priority alongside running backs coach Bobby Turner, particularly given the challenges of tailoring the offense to different skill sets.
“The hardest thing last year was when you had a game plan in the pass game predicated around a running back and the backup doesn’t have the same skillset,” Shanahan said.
“In order for us to be the running team we want to be, and in order to have Christian be as good as he needs to be throughout the year, we got to get him some help.”
