Picture this: one guy gets hurt, and your Super Bowl dreams vanish overnight. That’s exactly what happened to the San Francisco 49ers and C͏hrist͏ian McCaffrey. When healthy, he’s the engine of Kyle Shanahan’s offense. Just look at 2023—McCaffrey posted 1,459 rushing yards and 21 total touchdowns, powering the Niners to back-to-back NFC Championship Games and a Super Bowl.

But when he went down in 2024, everything fell apart. No playoffs. A 6–11 crash landing. That’s how important he is. Now, the 2025 season is upon us—and with McCaffrey finally healthy, he’s not just returning. He’s hunting hardware. A Lombardi would be ideal, but some individual honors for the living room display wouldn’t be so bad either.

Last season belonged to Joe Burrow. The Bengals QB made history by becoming the first player to win the AP NFL Comeback Player of the Year twice with the same team. After wrist surgery in 2023, he came back blazing, leading the NFL in both passing yards (4,918) and passing touchdowns (43). But early predictions suggest that crown might be snatched away by the running back this year.

Pro Football Focus just dropped a list of the top 10 players returning from injury in 2025—and McCaffrey? He’s sitting at the very top. “After a lost 2024 season, the 49ers star is healthy, unrestricted, and eyeing a massive comeback,” wrote PFF’s Ryan Smith. The 49ers & NFL News 24/7 page echoed the excitement: “PFF͏ names Niners RB ͏Christian͏ McCaff͏rey͏ t͏he top play͏er ͏re͏turning from inju͏ry in͏ 2025. After a lost 2024 season, the 49ers s͏tar is he͏althy, unrestrict͏ed, and ey͏ei͏ng͏ a m͏ass͏ive c͏omeback. Could CPOY be next?”

It’s not just hype. It’s data. Without McCaffrey last year, the Niners’ offense sputtered. Their All-Pro back missed the first eight games with bilateral Achilles issues. When he did return, he suffered a PCL injury to his right knee against the Bills that landed him on injured reserve. He finished 2024 with only 202 scrimmage yards and zero touchdowns—numbers that couldn’t be more un-McCaffrey-like.

As Smith put it, “The 49ers finished 6–11 after winning 35 games from 2021 to 2023.” The ripple effect of losing McCaffrey? Devastating.

What’s next for McCaffrey after his injury update?

But this offseason feels different. McCaffrey has declared he’s at full strength. “I’m feeling great,” he told reporters at OTAs. “It’s been such a smooth process, a lot of hard work. As soon as that injury happened in Buffalo, I made it my goal not to miss a day of OTAs… and that’s where I’m at.”

The 49ers are all in. They’ve cleared the runway: backup Jordan Mason was traded to Minnesota, signaling that Shanahan and company are doubling down on their offensive centerpiece. Since McCaffrey arrived in 2022, they haven’t been shy about feeding him the rock—despite his injury history. In 2023 alone, he earned an elite 90.0+ PFF grade while forcing a league-high 155 missed tackles over two seasons. He’s the most complete back in football when healthy.

Timing-wise, it couldn’t be more perfect. San Francisco just locked in Brock Purdy’s extension. George Kittle and Fred Warner also re-upped. The core is intact. The mission is clear. And the stakes? Massive. The 49ers aren’t just hoping McCaffrey returns to form. They need him to carry them into the playoffs and deep into January.

Anything less, and it’s another “what if” season. But if he stays healthy? Comeback Player of the Year might just be a formality—and Joe Burrow’s reign might be over before it even begins.