Assessing the 49ers’ Management of Christian McCaffrey’s Workload

Five games in: let's assess.

Oct 4, 2026; Santa Clara, California, USA; San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey (23) on the field prior to warms ups at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: David Gonzales-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The San Francisco 49ers’ front office has repeatedly stated this season that it wants to monitor Christian McCaffrey’s workload.

It's five games into the new season, with three tough opponents in the form of the Seattle Seahawks, the Los Angeles Rams and the Denver Broncos.

This is a perfect time to assess whether McCaffrey's workload has made him better.

A reminder of 2025

McCaffrey faced the most intense workload in his career in 2025. He had a career-high 311 carries and 102 receptions throughout the season. On the one hand, it's an impressive effort, as he went through the entire season without picking up any injuries.

That said, McCaffrey’s workload was way too excessive. He recorded the second-most carries in the league, while his average dropped to 3.9 yards per carry. Although that figure is not necessarily poor, it represents a significant decline from the 5.4 yards per carry he averaged during his 2023 Offensive Player of the Year season.

But compared to 2024, winning the Comeback Player of the Year award was completely deserved.

So has 2026 represented an improvement?

Oct 11, 2026; Seattle, Washington, USA; San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey (23) celebrates after running for an eleven-yard touchdown against the Seattle Seahawks during the first half at Lumen Field. Mandatory Credit: Steven Bisig-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

McCaffrey has only had 61 carries across five games this season, putting him on track for around or just over 200 for the season. Let's be honest, that's a massive reduction.

Credit to the 49ers for this. After drafting Kaelon Black in the third round this season, he's done well to remain healthy and help reduce McCaffrey's output. He's averaging 3.7 yards, which is a solid return from a rookie.

In truth, it's proven so far that they've made the right call. McCaffrey has averaged 4.7 yards per carry, with 286 rushing yards and has also recorded five touchdowns.

While many of those touchdowns have come from close range, McCaffrey has shown a noticeable improvement in explosiveness compared to last season.

The 49ers have also utilized him more heavily toward the end of games, which appears to be a smart approach to managing his workload while maximizing his impact when it matters most.

He's tied sixth in the league for touchdowns and 18th overall in rushing yards. Most of his explosive performances this season have been against tougher opponents, averaging 6.8 per carry against the Rams and 6.2 yards against the Seahawks.

So he's still a massively bright spark on that offense still, but he's simply being managed properly, which the front office to their credit have done very well.