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SANTA CLARA — Christian McCaffrey’s return to the field could be a boon for the 49ers' offense on Sunday, and George Kittle’s enthusiasm is palpable.
“Really excited,” Kittle said on Thursday. “He’s a hell of a football player, great to have him in the huddle this week and last week a little bit. Anytime you can have a player of that caliber come back, and not just his talent level, but what he brings to the field and the team with his energy, the playmaking.
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“It’s a whole new level of energy we are going to have out there.”
The reigning NFL Offensive Player of the Year is set to make his 2024 debut on Sunday when the 49ers face off against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Raymond James Stadium. While San Francisco has been productive on the offensive side of the ball, their red zone efficacy has suffered without McCaffrey on the field.
By Week 8 of the 2023 season, McCaffrey already had scored 13 touchdowns — nine rushing, four receiving. Through eight games in 2024, the 49ers' offense only has scored 19 touchdowns combined.
Wide receiver Ricky Pearsall is happy to see his veteran teammate return, especially after quickly bonding with McCaffrey after being drafted by the 49ers earlier this year. The All-Pro took the rookie under his wing to assist with his acclimation to coach Kyle Shanahan’s system.
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“It’s been awesome,” Pearsall said. “Obviously watching him when I was back in college, seeing all the great things he was doing. Now being able to go out there and be on the same field as him, same huddle, it’s really good to see.
Missing eight games would be a test for any football player, and Kittle understands how that can affect a player’s mental health.
“Just tried to be there for him as much as he wanted me to be. He was in a good head space and it was more like, ‘Hey, man. Missing football games is tough, it’s not very fin so just being there for him in terms of that, I think I a lot of guys reached out to him and I think he’s just really, really ready to go.”
Defensive coordinator Nick Sorensen knows all too well how McCaffrey can stress a defense, having prepared to face him in seasons before the All-Pro joined the 49ers midway through the 2022 campaign. While the Stanford product is known for his abilities as a running back, his all-around football skills are what makes him a unique challenge.
“I remember going up against him a few times before he came here,” Sorensen said. “He’s a tough matchup problem in the pass game, but he’s also just an awesome runner. He has great vision. He’s not some guy who you think is small that won’t hit it inside.
“Obviously it’s his ability to cut, run and break tackles, but he’s also really tough. But the obvious one is how he can do so many things in the pass game.”