Shanahan not concerned with 49ers paying CMC into his 30s

Shanahan not concerned with 49ers paying CMC into his 30s originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

SANTA CLARA — Christian McCaffrey signed a two-year contract extension with the 49ers on Tuesday, keeping him with the team through the 2027 season.

If the reigning NFL Offensive Player of the Year plays out the full terms of his contract, he will be 31 years old at the start of his final season, but that isn’t a concern for coach Kyle Shanahan or McCaffrey himself.

“Christian is one of the more talented people I’ve met in my life,” Shanahan said on Tuesday.  “But if I didn’t speak about that, I’d say he’s almost the biggest overachiever that’s been around my life in terms of how obsessive he is with every little thing.”

Part of that attention to detail includes an in-depth offseason training program and an intense recovery process during the season. McCaffrey did have an injury-plagued two seasons with the Carolina Panthers, only appearing in 10 games through the 2020 and 2021 seasons, but since being traded to the 49ers, rarely has missed a game or practice.

The Stanford product actually bristles when asked about any hint of an injury and repeatedly has been quoted as saying, “I feel great.”

“That’s where he’s extremely unique and as you get older with age, you lose a step or something, that’s not what makes Christian great,” Shanahan said. “It’s that he is the same player down in, and down out. And yeah, it’s great to have all the talent that he does have, and he takes care of his body as good as anyone, so you don’t picture him losing any of that because of a number.”

At 27 years old and in his seventh NFL season, McCaffrey ran for a career-best and league-high 1,459 rushing yards as well as compiling a league-leading 2,023 scrimmage yards and 21 all-purpose touchdowns. The All-Pro racked up 339 touches, which also was tops in the NFL.

While Shanahan would like to lower McCaffrey’s touches and use the depth that the…

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Author : NBC Sports BayArea

Publish date : 2024-06-05 00:46:57

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