Overview
- ESPN’s 2026 positional ballots, released Monday, placed McCaffrey fourth among running backs while showing wide variance across votes from executives, coaches and scouts.
- McCaffrey rebounded in 2025 with 2,126 scrimmage yards and 17 total touchdowns but required a league-high 413 touches to reach those numbers.
- Evaluators flagged signs of decline: he averaged 3.9 yards per carry in 2025 and one anonymous NFC executive said “he’s declined some” while still judging him capable of one more top season.
- The 49ers face a practical tradeoff because McCaffrey is owed roughly $30 million over the next two seasons under his two-year extension, limiting easy roster or usage moves.
- Longer-term context: Shanahan’s offense historically leans on top playmakers, the team ranked 29th in rushing yards before contact last season, and the club’s thin backfield depth complicates any plan to shift carries to backups.