49ers' Christian McCaffrey: To receive more rest in 2026

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San Francisco head coach Kyle Shanahan said Monday that "in order to have [McCaffrey] be as good as he can be throughout the whole year, we've got to get someone to help him," Matt Barrows of The Athletic reports.

McCaffrey earned NFL Comeback Player of the Year honors in 2025, in which he suited up for all 17 regular-season games while racking up 2,126 yards from scrimmage and 17 total touchdowns on a career-high 413 touches. Shanahan acknowledged that McCaffrey, who will turn 30 in June and was limited to just four appearances in 2024 due to Achilles and knee issues, may have had his efficiency hampered by his workhorse role in 2025, as he averaged just 3.9 YPC. Jordan James and Isaac Guerendo are current candidates to compete for an increased No. 2 role behind McCaffrey following the departure of Brian Robinson for Atlanta, but the 49ers also could make further additions to the backfield in April's draft.