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Okay, the San Francisco 49ers turned Brock Purdy into a multimillionaire, but Christian McCaffrey is still the most important player on the team - and he's ready to return

The 49ers need to get back on the competitive map

Okay, the San Francisco 49ers turned Brock Purdy into a multimillionaire, but Christian McCaffrey is still the most important player on the team - and he's ready to return

Last season was a disaster for the San Francisco 49ers. After reaching the Super Bowl the previous year and taking the Kansas City Chiefs to overtime, they missed the playoffs and not only that - they finished last in the NFC West, ending the year with four consecutive losses.

One of the main reasons for the 49ers' terrible season was the injury struggles of Christian McCaffrey, who played in only 4 games due to tendinitis in both Achilles tendons and a posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) tear.

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For now, the 49ers have made some key decisions - making George Kittle the highest-paid tight end in the NFL and giving quarterback Brock Purdy a five-year, $265 million contract, something that has definitely stirred controversy.

Christian McCaffrey is completely healthy

After a spectacular 2023 season, McCaffrey missed 13 games in 2024, but everything suggests he is fully healthy for the season. However, this year, Head Coach Kyle Shanahan may need to find a way not to overuse McCaffrey and give more opportunities to Isaac Guerendo in the running game.

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"Approaching 30, he's hardly a safe bet to handle a heavy workload, and his primary backup, Jordan Mason, is no longer with the team to spell him. Still, the fact that the rest of the 49ers are recovering should help him return to a starring role under Kyle Shanahan's leadership," said Cody Benjamin of CBS Sports.

Christian McCaffrey will look to have a season like he did in 2023, when he led the 49ers to the Super Bowl and was named Offensive Player of the Year, in a campaign where he led the NFL with 1,459 rushing yards and 14 touchdowns.

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