Kyle Shanahan has a big Christian McCaffrey update for 49ers fans: “As ready as any player I’ve ever been around”

After a historic 2023 season with the San Francisco 49ers, Christian McCaffrey was forced to watch on from the sidelines last year as his team missed out on the playoffs.

There were a number of problems with the 49ers’ 2024 season but the absence of McCaffrey was key among them. He suffered with bilateral Achilles tendinitis through the early weeks of the regular season, before picking up a season-ending PCL injury in Week 4.

Fortunately for San Francisco fans, it looks like he’s back. McCaffrey has been taking part in the team’s offseason preparation work and head coach Kyle Shanahan had some positive words on his progress.

“Christian is as ready as any player I’ve ever been around,” Shanahan said. “When he gets hurt, he’s got to rehab and get better. Right now, he’s healthy as can be.

“We’ve got to kind of protect him from himself, but Christian has a good idea of what he needs to do right now. He’s doing a lot less than he normally would do, but I know he is excited on how healthy he feels and the fact that he can get out there.”

McCaffrey, now 28, will hope that he can get back to the 2023 form that made him one of the most potent offensive weapons in the entire league. He helped San Francisco to a Super Bowl appearance and ended the year as NFL Offensive Player of the Year, while also being the league’s rushing yards leader and a first team Pro Bowl place.

Shanahan is not the only one to be impressed by McCaffrey’s offseason showings. 49ers general manager John Lynch spoke to Bay Area radio station KNBR on Friday, giving his take on those workouts.

“I stand back there, where I used to stand—just about 30 yards deeper—and it looks really good to me,” Lynch explained. “That’s what I’ll tell you. He looks bouncy; he looks explosive. Christian likes the work. As talented as he is, he’s a feel player, and he likes to work, and he’s put in the work."

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