Christian McCaffrey Declares Himself 100% for 49ers Offseason After Injury-Plagued Year

Christian McCaffrey kicked off the San Francisco 49ers' offseason program with a simple message: "zero restrictions." After a 2024 season that saw him sidelined by injuries and limited to just four games, McCaffrey says he’s feeling fully healthy and ready to roll.

Last season was rough for McCaffrey, who missed the first eight games due to Achilles tendinitis and then suffered a right knee injury that benched him for the final five. He made it clear on Tuesday that those days are behind him, saying, "It’s been such a smooth process, a lot of hard work. As soon as that injury happened in Buffalo, this was my goal: to not miss a day of OTAs, be back ready to go with nothing hindering me. That’s where I’m at."

McCaffrey said he was already back to full speed early in the offseason, with both his Achilles and his knee fully healed. That’s great news for San Francisco, considering how much his absence was felt last year. Off the field, it’s been a big offseason for him too—he and his wife, Olivia Culpo, are expecting their first child. Talk about a full recovery!

It’s no secret that the 2024 campaign was a disappointment for McCaffrey, especially after his standout 2023 season where he racked up 2,023 yards from scrimmage, tied for the NFL lead with 21 touchdowns, and took home the AP Offensive Player of the Year award. In contrast, he managed just 202 rushing yards on 50 carries last season before injuries derailed his momentum.

For context, McCaffrey had been a consistent presence in 2022 and 2023, missing just one game—ironically, a meaningless Week 18 matchup—after losing 23 games to injuries in his last two years with the Carolina Panthers. The hope in the Bay Area is that his recent bad luck is now firmly in the rearview mirror.

The 49ers also got some good news from linebacker Fred Warner, who reports he’s fully recovered from a broken ankle that bothered him all last season. Despite the injury, Warner didn’t miss a single game and still managed to snag his third consecutive All-Pro honor. Warner summed it up with, "The ankle injury is a thing of the past."

In other team updates, defensive linemen Evan Anderson and Alex Barrett, linebacker Jalen Graham, and tight end Brayden Willis all signed their one-year exclusive rights contracts. The Niners also promoted Dustin Perry to vice president of player health and performance, after six years as the team’s strength and conditioning coach. Here’s hoping no one keeps him quite as busy next season.