49ers GM John Lynch Confirms New Workload Plan for Christian McCaffrey

It looks like it will actually happen.

Sep 11, 2026; Melbourne, Victoria, Australia; San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey (23) at press conference after the 2026 NFL Melbourne Game against the Los Angeles Rams at Melbourne Cricket Ground. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The San Francisco 49ers finally backed up their word on reducing Christian McCaffrey’s workload in Week 1.

Finally. It's been said for a long while, but the first game showed encouraging signs that they are actually doing what they said. McCaffrey had 68 yards from 10 carries, with rookie Kaelon Black impressing with 65 yards from 14 carries.

General manager John Lynch discussed Black and his contribution on his debut, but made it clear that both Black and Jordan James will play a role in the rotation alongside McCaffrey this season.

"I think, yes, we wanted to do that, but you have to have the faith and the comfort, and it has to be earned," Lynch said on Bay Area radio station KNBR. "So, Kaelon, I think, through the way he performed in training camp, him being on his assignments, his ability to pass [protect]. Bobby Turner, our running backs coach, you're not just getting on the field.

"And Kaelon earned that, as has Jordan James, for that matter. And Jordan, you know, just didn't get the opportunities in that game."

Aug 20, 2026; Inglewood, California, USA; San Francisco 49ers running back Kaelon Black (26) runs with the ball during the first quarter against the Los Angeles Chargers at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

"So when you have options to split the carries, it's hard to take Christian off the field. Christian doesn't like coming off the field, but I think there's a vision for how we want to do this, and you want to keep people healthy in a game, you want to keep people fresh for a season, and so, I promise you, there's going to be games where Christian's right back to having the amount of touches he had last year.

"But it's just the flow of the game, the way it went. Kaelon had a hot hand there. Christian ran it—when he had his opportunities—extremely well. The name of the game is to win, and running the football was a big part of that win, and we did it very well."

This backs the thesis that there is no designated second running back on the depth chart. Instead, it’s about seeing what fits and making sure McCaffrey finishes the season fresh.

Ultimately, irrespective of a win or defeat, having McCaffrey come out of a game healthy will always be one of the biggest positives, given how integral he is to this team.

Last year proved that, and while he completed every game of the season, he was still heavily relied upon and ultimately overused. They just can't use Week 1 from this year as a one-off.