Everything went wrong for McCaffrey in 2024, as what was called a calf strain in early August ended up being Achilles tendinitis in both legs and delayed his season debut until Week 10. The 49ers had suggested he was on track to play Week 1, right up until gameday, yet they denied any setbacks had occurred even after he went on injured reserve. Whatever the case, McCaffrey was not quite himself upon his Week 10 return, immediately handling snap shares above 80 percent but averaging just 3.5 YPC over his first three games. He got off to a hot start in his fourth game, Week 14 at Buffalo, only to suffer a season-ending PCL sprain in the second quarter. He once again was all-or-nothing in terms of durability/injury luck, playing fewer than eight games for a third time in the past five years (whereas his other five NFL seasons all featured 16 or 17 regular-season appearances). He said in early January that he was almost back to full strength, having avoided surgery, and it's reassuring that the 49ers later traded Jordan Mason to Minnesota, leaving 2024 fourth-round pick Isaac Guerendo as the likely No. 2 back. The offensive line is a slight concern with guard Aaron Banks off to Green Bay and left tackle Trent Williams turning 37 in July, but it's generally a poor bet to fade a Kyle Shanahan offense, and McCaffrey is still (barely) on the right side of 30 and just two years removed from his 2023 career highs for rushing yards (1,459) and YPC (5.4).
