Kyle Shanahan Isn’t Concerned About Christian McCaffrey Missing OTAs

Highlights

Injuries have been the only setback for Christian McCaffrey, but he has thrived with the 49ers, making a strong impact offensively.
The star running back has a lucrative contract with the team, so contract disputes are unlikely to be the reason for his absence.
Despite McCaffrey missing OTAs, Kyle Shanahan isn’t too concerned, as participation is voluntary and the running back has proven success.

The San Francisco 49ers acquired Christian McCaffrey in October 2022, and the returns have been fantastic. The star running back has become a picture-perfect fit for Kyle Shanahan’s offense. So, while McCaffrey is not currently present for voluntary OTAs, the coach doesn’t seem overly worried. According to Charean Williams from Pro Football Talk, Shanahan recently told reporters:

No, just like everyone else, it is voluntary. I’m not too concerned about Christian. But no, he hasn’t been here.

While players often hold out of voluntary OTAs due to contract worries, that might not be the case with McCaffrey. The 49ers’ star is currently the highest-paid running back in the league with an average salary of slightly more than $16 million. His current contract will take him through the 2025 season.

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The 49ers’ star finished third in league MVP voting in 2023

Another potential reason for McCaffrey’s decision could be his injury history. Players don’t get hurt as often in OTAs as they do during the regular season, but it still happens. McCaffrey only played in a total of 10 games between 2020 and 2021, but has played in 33 regular season contests over the last two seasons.

The running back had the finest season of his career during his 2023 season with the Niners. McCaffrey ran for 1,459 yards and 14 touchdowns on 272 carries. A fantastic receiver out of the backfield, he also notched 67 catches for 564 yards and seven touchdowns.

Christian McCaffrey 2023 Stats
Stat	McCaffrey
Rushing Attempts	272
Rushing Yards	1,459
Rushing TDs	14
Receptions	67
Receiving Yards	564
Receiving TDs	7

There is no reason to believe that McCaffrey won’t be able to keep up with success with the 49ers. The team has Pro Bowl level talent at every offensive skill position, making it hard for a defense to focus on any particular 49ers player. McCaffrey is able to take advantage by gashing teams both on the ground and in the air.

The only thing that has held McCaffrey back over the years is injuries. But his health seems to have taken a turn for the better during his time in San Francisco. So missing some spring practices probably isn’t all that big a deal.

Source: Charean Williams

All statistics courtesy of Pro Football Reference and all contract figures courtesy of Spotrac unless otherwise noted.