The news for Christian McCaffrey in recent days has been really positive.
San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan has said that McCaffrey is “healthy as can be.”
But SI’s Grant Cohn warns fans to not expect the same old CMC.
“It’s important to note that McCaffrey did not rush back from bilateral Achilles tendonitis,” Cohn writes. “He was cautious, he took his time he went to Germany for treatments that aren’t even legal in America. And when he finally felt he was ready to play, he clearly had lost a step. He didn’t have the burst or top-end speed that made him special. In four games, he topped out at 17.4 miles per hour, which is slow by his standards. Before he got injured, he routinely hit 20 miles per hour or faster.”
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McCaffrey turns 29 this month, and he just might never be the same.
“At his age, it’s unrealistic to expect him to turn back the clock and be someone he was two years ago,” Cohn writes. “You never bounce back fully from bilateral Achilles tendonitis. Injuries always take a toll. So he might stay healthy this season, but I wouldn’t expect him to average 5.0 yards per carry like he did in the past.
“The days of McCaffrey being a dominant runner most likely are over.”
This is smart analysis, and it shows that the 49ers’ offense might struggle just a tad more than expected.
San Francisco might need backup Isaac Guerendo to shoulder a bigger load than anticipated just to keep McCaffrey fresh.
There could also be a trade in the works if the 49ers don’t deem that Guerendo is ready to do that.
The 49ers finally paid Brock Purdy, but Purdy will only go as far as the players around him. And San Francisco fans are surely crossing their fingers for McCaffrey to be at least a little more like his old self, even if that doesn’t seem too likely.
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