San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan wants to give All-Pro running back Christian McCaffrey fewer carries during the 2026 season.
McCaffrey, who has an extended injury history, stayed healthy in 2025 and led the NFL with 413 touches. He’s topped the league in touches in the last two seasons in which he played at least 16 games (2023 and ’25).
“I know that I don’t want Christian to have to take all of that,” Shanahan said Monday, according to ESPN’s Nick Wagoner. “It was amazing that he did and was able to do that.
“The reason it’s so hard to get Christian out is because of how much he affects everything in the pass game, even when he’s not getting the ball. … But in order for us to be the running team we want to be, in order to have Christian be as good as he can be throughout the whole year, we’ve got to get someone to help him.”
The 49ers relied heavily on McCaffrey last season with some of their top stars sidelined due to injuries, including quarterback Brock Purdy, who made only nine appearances. McCaffrey carried the ball a career-high 311 times in 2025 while also making 102 catches. He finished the campaign with 2,126 yards and 17 touchdowns from scrimmage.
Brian Robinson Jr. signed with the Atlanta Falcons this offseason, leaving Jordan James and Isaac Guerendo as San Francisco’s top running back options behind McCaffrey.
“James came on really strong at the end of last year, but he missed so much in the beginning,” Shanahan said. “He kind of just missed his window to pass some other people up. I wish I would have got him on the field more than I did. … He needs to take that next step.”
A 2025 fifth-round pick, James battled multiple injuries and missed most of his first NFL preseason. He appeared in only three games.
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