After shaking off injury trouble for two seasons, en route to staking a claim as the NFL’s best running back, Christian McCaffrey saw two issues create a lost season for him in 2024. The superstar back missed much of the season with an Achilles injury, and a PCL malady sustained in Buffalo sidelined him not long after he debuted. McCaffrey, who is going into his age-29 season, landed more guaranteed money via another market-setting extension (two years, $38MM), protecting himself for the 2025 season. The 49ers also expect their RB starter to be back by training camp and perhaps before, with John Lynch indicating (via The Athletic’s Matt Barrows) the ninth-year veteran will probably be ready for part of the team’s offseason program.
Not that McCaffrey needs to log much offseason participation, as this will be Year 4 for him in Kyle Shanahan‘s offense, but it would be an encouraging sign for a player who totaled only 50 carries last season. McCaffrey also saw injuries significantly limit him in 2020 and ’21 while in Carolina, but he played 17 games in 2022 and 16 in ’23, not missing any due to injury. The 49ers will hope the 2023 Offensive Player of the Year can return to that form in ’25.
Here is the latest out of San Francisco:
- As another 49ers NFC title defense could not navigate a rash of injuries, Trent Williams became part of the unavailable contingent. The future Hall of Fame left tackle missed the final seven games of San Francisco’s season with an ankle injury. Lynch confirmed (via Barrows) what had been expected, indicating Williams will be back for a 16th NFL season. Williams can break the tackle record for Pro Bowl invites by booking a 12th in 2025, which will be his age-37 season. Thanks to the contract adjustment he received to end a holdout, Williams would have brought more than $50MM in dead money had he retired after the 2024 slate.
- We heard Wednesday that the 49ers were talking not only with their top extension candidate, Brock Purdy, but with George Kittle as well. Staying mostly healthy over the course of his five-year, $75MM extension, the eight-year veteran — chosen in Lynch and Shanahan’s first draft — has put himself on the Hall of Fame radar. Lynch wants the star tight end to be a 49ers-only player during his career. “We want George to retire a Niner,” Lynch said. “He’s one of those guys — he’s a Niner through and through. So we want that to become a reality. I think the only thing on that is timing. And that’s no different than what I’ve told George and his agent.” The 49ers hammered out their first Kittle extension during training camp in 2020. Considering how this franchise usually conducts business, that is a timeframe to again monitor this year.
- An either/or path at defensive end may form regarding Nick Bosa‘s wingmen. Leonard Floyd and Yetur Gross-Matos are release candidates, Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle writes. While Floyd has a track record as a sack artist, totaling at least nine each year from 2020-23, Gross-Matos received a surprising two-year, $18MM deal in 2024. The ex-Panthers second-rounder underwent in-season knee surgery and finished with four sacks in 11 games. That was a half-sack off his career high, however, but the 49ers having backloaded his deal would free up $7.82MM in a post-June 1 release. Using a post-June 1 designation on Floyd would free up $7.95MM in 2025 space but leave a bigger hole in the pass-rushing department. The 49ers have one June 1 move to make, as Javon Hargrave‘s release takes up the team’s other allotted slot.
- Josh Dobbs threw for 326 yards and two touchdowns during a meaningless Week 18 loss to the Cardinals, likely helping his cause for another QB2 deal. After losing the backup job to Brandon Allen, however, Dobbs is unlikely to re-sign with the 49ers, per Branch. When asked about a potential re-signing, Dobbs said recently, “Free agency is free agency.” If Allen is to reprise his 49ers QB2 role, he will need to be re-signed.