SANTA CLARA – Film session this week at 49ers camp showed a highlight which set the tone for last season’s Super Bowl run – and Christian McCaffrey’s NFL rushing title.
It was opening day in Pittsburgh. McCaffrey took Brock Purdy’s handoff at the 30-yard line, raced past great blocks at the line of scrimmage, picked up another from Brandon Aiyuk at midfield, then one from Ray-Ray McCloud at the 10, then dove across the goal line.
McCaffrey’s chances at duplicating that 65-yard touchdown run might mirror those of repeating as the NFL’s rushing champion, a feat Joe “The Jet” Perry pulled off 70 years ago on the 49ers.
“It was an incredible run, with incredible moves,” Chris Foerster, the 49ers’ run-game coordinator and offensive line coach said Thursday. “Maybe the guy tackles him this year. You get four or five of those a year and it looks different. You just don’t know how it goes and how the season plays out.”
McCaffrey’s health is paramount to his encore effort. He has not practiced since an Aug. 4 calf strain and won’t play in the preseason.
Thursday, however, McCaffrey surfaced on a side field and looked spry running, cutting, and catching passes. (Insider tip: He is safe to pick No. 1 in your fantasy football draft.)
“He’ll have cleats on that grass here in no time,” fullback Kyle Juszczyk said. “He’s going to be Christian McCaffrey. He’s going to go do his thing and be one of the best players in the world.”
San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey (23) and quarterback Brock Purdy (13) participate in a practice on Wednesday, July 24, 2024, in Santa Clara, Calif. (Dai Sugano/Bay Area News Group) Dai Sugano/Bay Area News Group
McCaffrey downplayed the injury last week, telling SiriusXM NFL Radio it was “very cautionary stuff. If we had a game, I would play, but just trying to be smart right now.”
Three of his potential backups aren’t practicing because of injuries: Elijah Mitchell (hamstring), Isaac Guerendo (hamstring) and Patrick Taylor Jr. (foot). Once Jordan Mason safely exited after his opening-drive touchdown Saturday, rookie Cody Schrader and veteran Matt Breida struggled, but that was behind third-string linemen who blocked poorly, Foerster said.
While Mason has emerged as camp’s rushing star and likely supplanted Mitchell for the No. 2 role, McCaffrey is preparing for his eighth NFL season – and perhaps another rushing crown. He has played every game since the 49ers traded for him in October 2022, aside from the meaningless Week 18 affair last season. That loss preceded the playoffs but it also followed a calf strain in the 49ers’ New Year’s Eve win at Washington.
“He always is super determined, always striving for more,” Juszczyk said. “It really is never enough for him.”
Not only do seasons vary, so do other factors that could dictate whether McCaffrey matches or exceeds last year’s NFL-best 1,459 rushing yards.
San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey (23) rushes during an NFL football game, Sunday, Sept. 10, 2023, in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Matt Durisko)
“You have to go out and see how it goes, see how defenses play you,” Foerster said. “So many different things come into it: How well your quarterback plays, if your receivers are healthy so that you can throw the ball to set up the run game. We were able to get a lot of runs in the fourth quarter of games where there were not a lot of two-minute drives, but a lot of trying to kill the clock in games.”
McCaffrey’s workload and success came primarily before halftime, however.
First quarter: 83 carries, 558 yards, three touchdowns
Second quarter: 72 carries, 326 yards, eight touchdowns
Third quarter: 62 carries, 353 yards, two touchdowns
Fourth quarter: 55 carries, 222 yards, one touchdown
Juszczyk, channeling his Pro Bowl blocking skills, led the way Thursday in reminding all of McCaffrey’s 2023 season: “He had the touchdown record going on (17 straight games), the rushing title, he was in the NFL MVP race (third place), All-Pro, Pro Bowl. When you have so many accolades going on, sometimes it’s hard to acknowledge all.
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“But we try to appreciate everything in that room,” Juszczyk added, “and it’s something Christian and I talk about every day, even now in camp, just appreciating the opportunity we have to be out here with one another and to all work toward a common goal.”
McCaffrey also won NFL Offensive Player of the Year honors last season. His opening-drive touchdown set the tone for what would become an overtime loss.
He’s a sure bet to lead the 49ers’ offense again this year, whether or not Brandon Aiyuk joins in after an ongoing contract dispute.
“We try not to take for granted what we’ve done and what we can do,” Juszczyk added.
PRACTICE NOTES
Aiyuk, for the second straight day, observed practice down the sideline mostly alone, although he had quick chats with injured cornerback Isaac Yiadom (ankle) and wide receiver Deebo Samuel during the two-hour session. … Tracy Walker III and Darrell Luter Jr. intercepted fourth-string quarterback Tanner Mordecai. … Ricky Pearsall suited up for offensive warmups in his first action since aggravating a shoulder injury Aug. 6. George Kittle caught a 50-yard touchdown pass from Brock Purdy against the coverage of Renardo Green and George Odum. … Cornerback Isaac Yiadom (ankle). … Rookie wide receiver Jacob Cowing is faring well as a returner and he had three receptions. … Overlooked in the tight end battle but quietly emerging is Jake Tonges, whose fourth catch Thursday saw him shake off a Chase Lucas hit. … Jaylon Moore, Trent Williams’ fill-in at left tackle, fared well twice against Nick Bosa in one-on-one action. An illness kept Moore from playing Saturday night, when his was slated for just the opening series. … Defensive tackles Maliek Collins and Javon Hargrave, along with linebackers Fred Warner and DeVondre Campbell, were critical in the first-string defense’s success. … Warner, showing no signs of last week’s foot issues, opened up one-on-one drills by diving to break up a pass intended for Juszczyk.
