Is 49ers Running Back Christian McCaffrey a Future Hall of Famer?

Here are his credentials.

Dec 1, 2024; Orchard Park, New York, USA; San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey (23) tries to avoid Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin (3) on a run in the first quarter at Highmark Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark Konezny-Imagn Images | Mark Konezny-Imagn Images

At his peak, Christian McCaffrey was one of the 49ers' best players in franchise history. But is he a future Hall of Famer?

Here are his credentials: He has been to three Pro Bowls, he's a two-time first-team All Pro and he was the NFL's Offensive Player of the Year in 2023. Those are some serious accomplishments. But he still needs to stay healthy and play at a high level for a few more years to make the Hall of Fame.

That's because McCaffrey has missed the better part of three seasons due to injuries. He hasn't exactly been an Iron Man. And that's why he currently has fewer career rushing yards than Joe Mixon, Aaron Jones, Dalvin Cook and Alvin Kamara -- four running backs who were drafted after McCaffrey in 2017.

McCaffrey also has fewer career yards from scrimmage (10,863) than Roger Craig (13,100), LeSean McCoy (15,000) and Tiki Barber (15,632), and none of them is in the Hall of Fame yet, although Barber has been a finalist.

McCaffrey also has 31 fewer touchdowns than Shaun Alexander who also isn't in the Hall of Fame.

For McCaffrey to make it one day, he probably will have to gain another 5,000 yards from scrimmage and score at least another 20 touchdowns. And that means he would need to play another three or four seasons.

I find it highly unlikely that McCaffrey's body will hold up much longer. He couldn't stay healthy for more than a few weeks at a time last season. He waited until he was 100 percent recovered from bilateral Achilles tendonitis, and then a few weeks later he tore his PCL.

The burden of proof is on McCaffrey.