logo
Christian McCaffrey feels 'great' entering camp. Why 49ers really need RB to stay healthy

Christian McCaffrey feels 'great' entering camp. Why 49ers really need RB to stay healthy

USA Today14-07-2025
A run of three consecutive conference championship appearances and two straight NFC West titles all came crashing down last season for the San Francisco 49ers. Which leads to the question: Has the 49ers' Super Bowl window closed?
The answer to the question might depend on health.
The 49ers were ravaged by injuries a season ago. A total of 16 players ended the year on injured reserve as the team limped to a 6-11 record and last place finish in the NFC West.
Running back Christian McCaffrey, the 49ers' best skill position player, was one of the most notable players hurt during San Francisco's injury plagued season. He missed San Francisco's first eight games due to calf and Achilles injuries. He returned in November yet sustained a season-ending PCL injury in Week 12.
Injuries aren't new to McCaffrey. He was limited to only 10 games from 2020-2021 because of injuries when he was on the Carolina Panthers before being traded to San Francisco in 2022.
McCaffrey is one of the best running backs in the NFL when healthy (and popular fantasy football pick). Can the 29-year-old running back evade the injury bug this season?
As the 49ers prepare for training camp, McCaffrey says he's healthy.
'I feel great. This offseason, I've spent a lot of time building back a base (and) starting from scratch. A lot of it was rehab,' McCaffrey said at 49ers' minicamp. 'I wanted to put myself in a position where I didn't miss a day of OTAs and I could practice and play football again, be healthy and not miss a day. I did that and now it's kind of kick back up the training again. I feel great.'
The 49ers need McCaffrey to return to his 2023 form where he led league in rushing yards (1,459), touches (339), yards from scrimmage (2,023) and touchdowns from scrimmage (21) on the way to winning the 2023 NFL Offensive Player of the Year award. San Francisco lost several key players this offseason, a list that includes Dre Greenlaw, Charvarius Ward, Deebo Samuel, Talanoa Hufanga, Javon Hargrave and Leonard Floyd
San Francisco's roster shakeup puts more of an onus on the team's star players such as McCaffrey to perform at a high level if the club wants to return to being a playoff contender.
'You guys saw in 2023 how important he is to what we want to be as an offense. He's an elite player and we're going to do everything we can to get him the ball, as much as we can. And yeah, his health is really important. He's one of our central players on offense,' 49ers offensive coordinator Klay Kubiak said this offseason. 'We want to hand him the ball, we want to throw him the ball, how he changes defenses when he's on the field for how they have to play us in certain coverages, right? Putting more guys in the box to stop the run, it has an effect on the opponents.'
Can the 49ers get vintage McCaffrey in 2025? Head coach Kyle Shanahan is optimistic.
'He is a psycho in a good way and so like he does everything imaginable every single day,' Shanahan said in June. 'Last year he couldn't because he was battling injury all last year. And this year he is healthy, so he is right back to being who he is always been and it's really fun to watch.'
Is the demise of the 49ers premature? The 49ers have the NFL's easiest strength of schedule based on their opponents' winning percentage from 2024. And if McCaffrey and the team's other core players can stay healthy, it might be too soon to write them off.
Follow USA TODAY Sports' Tyler Dragon on X @TheTylerDragon.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Travis Kelce's Coach Andy Reid Reacts to His Body Transformation
Travis Kelce's Coach Andy Reid Reacts to His Body Transformation

Yahoo

time15 minutes ago

  • Yahoo

Travis Kelce's Coach Andy Reid Reacts to His Body Transformation

Originally appeared on E! Online Travis Kelce is ready for the next NFL season. In fact, Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid said the 35-year-old now "looks like he's 20" after working on his physique during the off-season. "He's svelte right now," Reid told reporters July 24. "He's doing a great job. He's in great shape." The 67-year-old continued of Kelce, "You can see he's been working out." Indeed, the tight end has been focused on transforming his body since losing the 2025 Super Bowl to the Philadelphia Eagles in February. As he previously put it, "I am down some weight from the end of the season last year." "This year, I got some time to work on some form running and some things early on in the offseason that I just didn't have time for last year," Kelce shared at a June press conference. "I'm certainly feeling good, and hopefully it'll pay off." More from E! Online How Bryan Kohberger's Mom and Sister Reacted in Court to Idaho Murder Sentencing Chris Martin's Ex Gwyneth Paltrow Jokes About Coldplay Scandal as New Astronomer Spokesperson Emilie Kiser's Husband Brady Kiser Won't Be Charged Over Son Trigg's Death In addition, Kelce has also been enjoying his downtime with girlfriend Taylor Swift. As seen in photos shared on Instagram July 24, the couple of nearly two years went on a snowy vacation to Montana with and Charissa Thompson and threw a summer boat party complete with matching "Captain" and "First Mate" hats. "Had some adventures this offseason," Kelce wrote in the caption. "Kept it 100." And the athlete is grateful to have the "Blank Space" singer in his life. "I'm not here to hide anything," Kelce told Barstool Sports' Bussin' With The Boys podcast in June. "That's my girl. That's my lady. I'm proud of that, so I'm not sitting here trying to juggle, like, 'How can I keep this under wraps?'" "We're just enjoying life," he added. "We're having fun with it, man, being a couple." For more on Kelce and Swift's love story, keep reading... July 2023: So, Make the Friendship BraceletsSummer 2023: This Is Him TryingAugust 2023: Enchanted to Meet YouSeptember 2023: Sparks FlySeptember 2023: Cheer CaptainOctober 2023: Team UpOctober 2023: It's Nice to Have a FriendOctober 2023: Welcome to New YorkNovember 2023: Karma Is Her BoyfriendDecember 2023: Speak NowDecember 2023: You, Who Charmed Her DadJanuary 2024: All the MidnightsJanuary 2024: Chosen FamilyJanuary 2024: Saved by the Perfect KissFebruary 2024: Super Bowl ChampsFebruary 2024: TikTok OfficialJune 2024: Instagram OfficialJune 2024: Travis' Eras Tour Stage DebutSeptember 2024: Back in the GameSeptember 2024: Wedding DateSeptember 2024: U.S. Open DateOctober 2024: Double DateDecember 2024: Empire State of MindMarch 2025: Off-Season Adventures For the latest breaking news updates, click here to download the E! News App

Cooper DeJean responds to a bold claim made by an Eagles All-Pro teammate
Cooper DeJean responds to a bold claim made by an Eagles All-Pro teammate

USA Today

time2 hours ago

  • USA Today

Cooper DeJean responds to a bold claim made by an Eagles All-Pro teammate

A bold prediction about Cooper DeJean gets his full attention. Often, when A.J. Brown speaks, everyone with any interest in the Philadelphia Eagles tunes their frequency to the station. Perhaps you have heard. He's kind of a big deal in Philadelphia. His introduction to the City of Brotherly Love brought with it quite the buzz, and no one has been able to ignore him since then. Whenever he expresses himself on the sidelines, fans and the media react with both positive and negative feedback. When he determined he'd buy a book and read a passage for some in-game motivation, many of the members of Eagles Nation flocked to Amazon and the bookstores to grab a copy of their own. So, one can only imagine the type of conversations he'd start by offering some high praise to an Eagles teammate, particularly one with growing popularity like now-second-year-defender Cooper DeJean. Cooper DeJean responds to A.J. Brown's bold claim about his potential ceiling. Two Eagles training camp practices are in the books. As expected, the second went on longer than the first. Both shared similarities. Press conferences preceded and followed each session, with players speaking after each workout. The media requested A.J. Brown after the first. He offered much for discussion. He was very complimentary of his ability and the skill sets of several of his Eagles teammates. One of the attention-grabbing statements involved him mentioning teammate Cooper DeJean as a potential All-Pro, a statement you can best believe DeJean responded to later. NBC Sports Philadelphia's Dave Zangaro provided the quote. 'I thought he was crazy, but when he explained it to me, (that) he's trying to speak it into existence for me, that gives me something to work towards and try to prove every single day when I come out here.' Brown has dubbed DeJean 'APC' or 'All-Pro Coop'. His teammate is taking it all in stride and appreciates the vote of confidence. 'It gives me something to strive and to work for. We had talked about that during OTAs. (Brown will) be one that pushes me every single day to make sure that I'm playing at a high level, no matter the day, to work towards that, which is pretty cool coming from a guy who's been All-Pro multiple times.' If anyone knows the skill set needed to attain All-Pro honors, it's the guy in Philadelphia's Number 11 jersey. He has earned Second-team All-Pro honors in each of his first three Eagles seasons. The goal for DeJean is winning another Super Bowl ring, though. Keep that focus, young man. Keep those eyes on the prize. Work hard. Keep grinding. Everything else, postseason accolades, for instance, will undoubtedly take care of themselves.

Brian Dawkins lends his Hall-of-Fame eyes to the analysis of an Eagles star defensive back
Brian Dawkins lends his Hall-of-Fame eyes to the analysis of an Eagles star defensive back

USA Today

time2 hours ago

  • USA Today

Brian Dawkins lends his Hall-of-Fame eyes to the analysis of an Eagles star defensive back

Weapon X is sold on Cooper DeJean. What else needs to be said now? Forgive the lack of knowledge for where this phrase originated, but its origin isn't as important as the phrase itself. 'One's opinion is only as valuable as a person's knowledge of a particular subject. Here's another way of stating the same thing. Who better to comment on the Philadelphia Eagles' brilliance than one of the best players to ever suit up in midnight or Kelly Green? The legend and Pro Football Hall of Famer Brian Dawkins certainly qualifies. He's on just about everyone's Eagles Mount Rushmore, and if he isn't on yours, you may want to rethink your evaluation strategy. Recently, he appeared as a guest on 94 WIP-FM during a live broadcast from training camp. He mentioned a rising star. Of course you're interested. Why on Earth wouldn't you be? Brian Dawkins joins the growing Cooper DeJean fan club Every time we think Cooper DeJean's star can't get any brighter, it does, so at this point, perhaps it's best to resign ourselves to theories about his brilliance and vast potential. His name recently earned a mention from one of the best DBs of his time, Pro Football Hall of Famer Brian Dawkins. What else needs to be said? When Weapon X talks about great DB talent, you will hear no rebuttal from this direction. It's year two for DeJean. He is already a Super Bowl champion. He picked off Patrick Mahomes in Super Bowl 59. Then, he wore a suit to the ring ceremony commemorating the moment. His teammate, A.J. Brown, sees the All-Pro potential. He's one of the hosts of the Exciting Mics podcast. His flame is indeed burning brightly, and it appears it will burn for a while. His collegiate career ended with him being named a Unanimous All-American. His professional career began with his inclusion on the PFWA All-Rookie Team. What will he do for an encore after a great rookie season? Time will tell, but, like Dawkins, the expectation is that another great campaign is coming.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store