Christian McCaffrey will have a full season to inflict damage for the San Francisco 49ers.
The star running back capitalized on his new surroundings following a mid-season trade from the Carolina Panthers. McCaffrey tallied 1,210 scrimmage yards and 10 touchdowns in 11 regular-season games for the NFC powerhouse.
Appearing Friday on The Rich Eisen Show (h/t 49ers Webzone), McCaffrey looked forward to getting more familiar with a finely tuned 49ers offense this summer.
“It is nice being able to have an offseason under my belt where I can get comfortable with the details and the things beyond the X’s and O’s that I’m not learning game plan to game plan,” McCaffrey said. “So I’m definitely excited to be here, be surrounded by all these guys.”
He called it “a lot of fun” playing alongside star players such as George Kittle, Deebo Samuel, and Brandon Aiyuk under head coach Kyle Shanahan.
“I’m definitely excited,” McCaffrey told Eisen. “Like you said, it’s a great fit for me. It’s a great fit for, really, any skill player. It’s a great fit for O-linemen, too. I mean, the scheme is so fun. It’s sustainable. It’s worked forever.”
After losing his team debut against the Kansas City Chiefs, during which McCaffrey played just 23 snaps, the 49ers closed the regular season on a 10-game winning streak. They averaged 30.5 points per game during that stretch before the 26-year-old tallied 299 yards and three touchdowns in three playoff games.
A revolving door of running backs have succeeded in Shanahan’s system, but the all-purpose All-Pro elevated the offense to another level. McCaffrey could be in store for a massive 2023 campaign if he stays healthy.