SANTA CLARA — The 49ers took no chances in securing Christian McCaffrey for the long haul, even as Brandon Aiyuk's future with the team remains uncertain.
San Francisco signed the 2023 NFL Offensive Player of the Year to a two-year, $38 million contract extension during the offseason, making McCaffrey the NFL's highest-paid running back at $19 million per season.
Head coach Kyle Shanahan stressed the need to make sure McCaffrey was a piece of the 49ers going forward.
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“Very important,” Shanahan said on Tuesday. “It’s always tough with all of this stuff. To be able to get Christian here with what he’s been able to do the last couple years, and what we plan on him doing for the next few years, we were really excited to get that done and felt great about it.”
McCaffrey rushed for league-high 1,459 yards in 2023 while also being a reliable target for quarterback Brock Purdy with 67 receptions for 564 yards. The All-Pro led the NFL with 339 touches for 2,023 yards.
McCaffrey and Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Rachaad White tied for the second-most carries in the league with 272, behind only former Tennessee Titans star Derrick Henry, who racked up 280 carries in 2023, making him a dominant presence on the field.
McCaffrey arrived in Santa Clara in the middle of the 2022 season and while it wasn't his best season statistically, his presence completely changed the 49ers' trajectory. They were 4-4 at the time of the trade, but went on a run and made it to the NFC Championship Game, where they lost to the Philadelphia Eagles.
San Francisco 49ers
Keeping the 49ers' star players in the building as long as they can is one of Shanahan and general manager John Lynch's top priorities, but it isn’t always easy.
“It’s a whole challenge,” Shanahan said. “You have to understand the market and how it works in the league, and you also got to understand what works for our team and how to build your own team with it.
“Those are two things that you’re constantly weighing and it’s not easy to figure out and it’s never an obvious right way or wrong way. You obviously try to figure out the best way and a lot of stuff goes into that.”
The 49ers' front office still has unfinished business regarding Aiyuk but for now, Lynch is happy that McCaffrey’s future is set.
“[McCaffrey’s] a pretty good football player,” Lynch said with a smile on Tuesday.