Christian McCaffrey's Dad Explains Why 49ers Won't Reduce Son's Workload

Interesting.

Jan 11, 2026; Philadelphia, PA, USA; San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey (23) on the field after win against the Philadelphia Eagles in an NFC Wild Card Round game at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images | Eric Hartline-Imagn Images

Christian McCaffrey's father, Ed, delivered his verdict on the San Francisco 49ers' plans to reduce his son's workload this season.

The 49ers ran Christian McCaffrey into the ground last season. That's hardly an exaggeration, but fortunately for San Francisco, he managed to stay healthy and didn't miss a game. The 49ers can count themselves fortunate.

He touched the ball 450 times across 19 regular-season and playoff games. He rushed 337 times for 1,285 yards and caught 113 passes for 1,029 yards, totaling 2,314 yards from scrimmage and 19 touchdowns.

Though his explosiveness wasn't anywhere near his 2023 level, he proved he has multiple uses, whether catching or running.

McCaffrey stated to NFL writer Kyle Odegard that Christian's workload reduction is not as easy as it sounds based on his production, saying: “The thing about Christian is, he is an every-down back.

“I think it’s safe to say he’s the greatest receiving running back in the history of the league.

"There’s not multiple Christians to put in the game. He can run receiver routes and play the slot, and when you have a player like that, it dictates to the defense what they can do from a personnel standpoint. 

“You’ve got to be careful bringing in run-stoppers when he splits out to slot receiver, because somebody’s got to guard him.

"So you’re going to play zone, use somebody that can’t cover him in man-to-man coverage, or you’re going to bring in a nickelback, where then you can load up and run the ball.

"There are not a lot of players that can do that, so it gives you an advantage on offense when you have a player like that in the game all the time.”

Jan 11, 2026; Philadelphia, PA, USA; San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey (23) scores a touchdown against Philadelphia Eagles safety Marcus Epps (39) during the fourth quarter in an NFC Wild Card Round game at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images | Eric Hartline-Imagn Images

Injuries everywhere prompted McCaffrey to take on more involvement, but even at the best of times, remaining explosive and healthy will be important for the 49ers this season.

Ed noted there's a fine line coaches must walk between preserving players and winning games.

“A coach’s job is to win,” McCaffrey stated.

“You can rest your players if you want. But if you lose, the NFL does stand for Not For Long.

"Regardless of what a coach will say about resting a player, every coach knows that they have to do so carefully.

"You never know when there’s a play out there that will be the difference between your team winning and losing.”

It's now time for the backup running backs to prove themselves if McCaffrey has less involvement.