San Francisco 49ers star running back Christian McCaffrey is poised to return to his MVP-level play from two seasons ago. originally appeared on Athlon Sports.

The San Francisco 49ers are desperate to return to playoff contention after falling to the bottom of the NFC West after winning the entire conference the year prior.

One major factor in that bounce back is the health of star running back Christian McCaffrey.

When he is available, McCaffrey remains one of the best players in the NFL and one of the most versatile running backs in league history. Unfortunately, he has dealt with major injuries throughout his illustrious career, forcing him to play less than 10 games in half of his eight NFL seasons. Last year, he only suited up in four games for the Niners after dealing with Achilles and knee issues.

This offseason, however, McCaffrey appears to be back near full health. He is putting every ounce of his energy toward performing like his 2023 self again, where he won Offensive Player of the Year with over 2,000 all-purpose yards.

Head coach Kyle Shanahan had some notable remarks about McCaffrey’s work ethic during this week’s mandatory minicamp.

“If I said it, I’d be making up because Christian is — I mean, he is a psycho in a good way and so like he does everything imaginable every single day,” Shanahan told reporters, via the team transcript.

“Last year he couldn’t because he was battling injury all last year. And this year he is healthy, so he is right back to being who he is always been and it’s really fun to watch.”

His San Francisco tenure is still rather young, but the 49ers offense clearly runs smoother with McCaffrey effective in the backfield. His record-breaking season directly correlated to the team’s dominance on the way to a Super Bowl berth two years ago. Last year, the dependent relationship was proven again in his absence.

In 2023, McCaffrey ran for 1,459 yards and 14 touchdowns. He added 67 catches for 564 yards and seven more scores through the air.

If he can produce anything near those totals in 2025 – and most of all, stay healthy – the 49ers will be poised for an immediate return to contention in the NFC.