SANTA CLARA — After missing much of the 2024 NFL season with bilateral Achilles tendonitis and a subsequent knee injury, Christian McCaffrey is ready to turn the page.
“I’m excited,” McCaffrey said Monday. “I think we are all pissed off in the right ways. I think that’s a good place to be.”
The All-Pro running back appeared in only four games after battling back from the Achilles injury that sidelined him for the first eight weeks of the season. Then in the 49ers' Week 13 loss to the Buffalo Bills, McCaffrey suffered a season-ending PCL injury.
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McCaffrey shared that the injury occurred due to the impact when his knee hit the turf. McCaffrey was happy he did not need surgery to heal, just rehab and rest, and he is nearly fully recovered five weeks removed from the incident.
“Definitely close. We are trending in the right direction. With available time now, we just want to respect that whole process, but everything is going really well,” McCaffrey said. “I’m feeling great, progressing really well.”
Watching his 49ers teammates struggle through a losing season and not be able to help by physically being on the field was tough for McCaffrey, but he certainly will use it as motivation going forward.
“I think for me, it’s always probably pretty salty, but not in a bad way,” McCaffrey said about his mindset. “I think when you have a lot of success for a couple of years in a row and then you get humbled quick, it’s a good reminder of what it takes to be good in this league.
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“Not that we needed a reminder, but I’m just excited for the offseason to get everyone a little rest, get healthy again and come back ready to go with a full year in front of us.”
McCaffrey experienced similar adversity when he was only able to suit up for 10 games over two seasons in 2020 and 2021. Even when receiving the NFL Offensive Player of the Year award for his performance during the 2023 season, losing Super Bowl LVIII left a bad taste in the running back’s mouth.
“I can tell you one thing, there’s only one team happy at the end of the year and everyone else is really pissed off, whether you lose the Super Bowl or whether you go 6-11,” McCaffrey said. “I think think the mind shift now has to shift quick from, ‘This was a tough year,’ and, ‘Let’s learn from the mistakes,' and get ready for OTAs.
“We don’t have time to mope on this year and just like last year, we didn’t have time to think about the Super Bowl. And that’s easier said than done. We got to get ready for this next year for the guys that will be here and come back hungry.”
McCaffrey will have time away from the 49ers facility but still will be rehabbing and training through the offseason, looking forward to starting anew in 2025.