Why the 49ers Will End Up Giving Christian McCaffrey a Pay Raise

If Christian McCaffrey is absent from voluntary OTAs due to his desire for a pay raise, then he is absolutely going to get what he wants from the 49ers. Here is why.

Feb 5, 2024; Las Vegas, NV, USA; San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey (23) is interviewed during Super Bowl LVIII Opening Night at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports / Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Christian McCaffrey's absence from 49ers voluntary OTAs has caused a bit of a ruckus.

Initially, it didn't seem like a big deal and it possibly still is the case. However, there may be more to McCaffrey's absence from OTAs than simply not wanting to participate. On Wednesday, 49ers position coaches were made available to the media. Running backs coach Bobby Turner was asked about McCaffrey's absence and he gave a very eyebrow raising response.

“Physically he’s not here, but he’s here in every other aspect," said Turner. "That’s the business part, and I’m not getting into that.”

So, does that mean McCaffrey isn't there because he wants a pay raise? It wouldn't be far-fetched at all. McCaffrey is coming off a year where he earned multiple accolades and was in the running for MVP. He is more than justified in seeking his pay raise.

And if that is really why he has been absent from OTAs, then the 49ers will end up meeting his desires and give him his pay raise. McCaffrey's base salary for 2024 is $11.8 million, which is the fifth-most on the 49ers. The 49ers can surely give him a few more million to up it and make him satisfied.

This isn't the first time a premier running back sought out a pay raise from the 49ers. Back in 2020 during OTAs, Raheem Mostert was looking for a pay raise himself. Sure enough, the 49ers agreed with him and gave him his well deserved pay raise.

McCaffrey is a drastically better running back than Mostert, so the 49ers will surely end up caving and paying McCaffrey like they did Mostert. Now, Mostert didn't receive a significant pay raise, but it was enough to make him feel valued and that is all McCaffrey wants.

Don't mistake this for a contract extension. McCaffrey won't need to see a lucrative increase in his salary for 2024, but he deserves a nice bump in pay. The Las Vegas Raiders just did that with their star player Maxx Crosby. They gave him a $6 million raise on Friday.

McCaffrey won't get close to that since the positional values are different, but he should see close to half of that and converted into guarantees. That is something the 49ers can easily replicate, especially once they get more salary cap space when June 1 arrives.

If McCaffrey ends up missing mandatory practices in the coming weeks, then it will be clear he is looking for a pay raise. But until then, everything is up in the air.