SANTA CLARA — Christian McCaffrey already is finding the silver linings in his most difficult season since joining the 49ers.
The star ball carrier was sidelined for the first eight games of the 2024 NFL season with bilateral Achilles tendonitis, slowly making his return in the team's Week 10 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Then just when McCaffrey appeared to be hitting his stride in San Francisco's Week 13 loss to the Buffalo Bills, the All-Pro went down with a knee injury when his knee awkwardly hit the turf during a shoestring tackle.
“It was frustrating for a lot of reasons,” McCaffrey said on locker clean-out day Monday. “I grew up playing in a lot of snow games so I was really excited to play in another snow game. It was very nostalgic for me, and it was also the first time I felt like myself, and I was excited about that.
After struggling with 43 carries for 149 yards giving him a 3.46 yards per carry average over his first three games, McCaffrey looked unstoppable in Buffalo. The 2023 Offensive Player of the Year quickly racked up 7 carries for 53 yards giving him a whopping 7.57-yard average gain.
“But. that was good,” McCaffrey said of his brief stint on the field in Buffalo. “It was good that it happened because I got to taste it again, and understand what I can do. I’m feeling great now, and it’s just a matter of putting together the best offseason possible, working extremely hard and going back for OTAs ready to go.”
There was no doubt that McCaffrey’s absence affected the 49ers' record, not to mention the other injuries at running back with Elijah Mitchell, Jordan Mason and Isaac Guerendo all missing time.
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McCaffrey believes the challenges the 2024 season brought to the 49ers will only fuel them going forward into 2025. The 49ers will have a bit of time to rest and recover before Phase 1 starts and the team reconvenes in Santa Clara to get ready for their next season.
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