Christian McCaffrey gave the 49ers everything he had, perhaps a bit too much. With 1,202 rushing yards, 102 receptions, 924 receiving yards, and 17 total touchdowns, McCaffrey helped San Francisco qualify for last year’s playoffs after a disappointing 6-11 record in the 2024 season. But it also exposed just how dependent the 49ers became on their star RB, and HC Kyle Shanahan has clarified how he plans to sort this dependency.

“Last year was the worst we had been at it,” said Shanahan on the Tom Tolbert Show. “One of the most amazing years I have seen by a guy in terms of just heart. The fact that [Christian McCaffrey] could get his body ready every Sunday for 17 weeks was amazing to me. And the load he had to carry with all the injuries and issues we had at receiver, he was such a pivotal part in the pass game and obviously the run game. For him to be able to make it through there was huge.”

Christian McCaffrey didn’t just randomly become one of the 49ers’ standout players last year. Their offensive line missed many from action, including wide receivers Brandon Aiyuk and Ricky Pearsall. Aiyuk spent the opening half of the season recovering from his torn ACL, MCL, and meniscus injury. Meanwhile, contract disputes later pushed him to cut conversations with the team. Whereas Pearsall played nine games last year, but a PCL knee injury and a severe ankle injury forced him to stay sidelined for weeks.

Due to the instability, head coach Kyle Shanahan banked more on RB Christian McCaffrey to play a more hybrid role. While doing so, the 29-year-old became the first running back in NFL history to record 100 or more receptions in three separate seasons (2018, 2019, and 2025). He also set the single-season franchise record with 413 total touches.

While McCaffrey’s dominance was unbelievable, it also brought setbacks to the team. The 49ers visibly became dependent on the RB, starting him in all 17 games, without any rest. Hence, it became quite easy for the rivals to make a blueprint and neutralize the 49ers’ offensive squad.

When the San Francisco 49ers faced the Seattle Seahawks in the Divisional Playoffs round, they didn’t shy away from exploiting those weaknesses. The Seahawks blanked out Shanahan’s play-action, leading the offense to be completely unable to sustain drives, which resulted in a 6-41 loss to the 49ers.

Heading to the 2026 season, the 49ers’ head coach has laid out clear expectations for McCaffrey and the locker room.

“But that’s not what we want for him. I want him to have more juice. To be more fresher,” Shanahan added. “He doesn’t have to take that beating when it’s unnecessary. I’m hoping we can have some other guys step up more this year. So you don’t feel like you need him on the field every play. He’s never going to want to hear that. If you insinuate that, he will be extremely insulted by me, but I hope he truly believes it’s for his best because I believe that.”

The San Francisco 49ers underwent a massive overhaul in the wide receiver room for the 2026 season. The front office roped in free-agents Mike Evans and Christian Kirk, alongside their top draft pick and Ole Miss standout De’Zhaun Stribling. Meanwhile, in the running back room, the 49ers will look to develop younger backs like Jordan James and Kaelon Black.

Surely, if found reliable, Shanahan would look to rotate McCaffrey more efficiently, providing an adequate rest and using him for the playoffs and late-season games.

Could Kyle Shanahan end the 49ers’ Super Bowl drought amid exit buzz?

Kyle Shanahan started head coaching after joining the San Francisco 49ers in 2017, and has led the team to two Super Bowl appearances, a 12-5 finish last season, and 4 NFC Championship games. But are appearances enough to keep him in the team, or can it lead to Shanahan’s exit? According to Sports Illustrated’s Grant Cohn, there seems to be a possibility.

“I don’t know what’s going to happen this year,” said Cohn. “But I think there’s a lot of pressure on these guys. I think if they make it to the NFC Championship game, they’ll get extensions. But if they don’t, it’ll be like, ‘man, it’s been a few years, you’re not getting better.”

Under Shanahan, the 49ers have won the NFC Championship games in 2019 and 2023 but lost in 2021 and 2022. Cohn believes that unless Shanahan and his team reach another NFC Championship game final, discussions about an exit may begin.

However, there has been no official buzz regarding this matter. Only time will tell what the future holds for Shanahan with the 49ers. Before that, all eyes will be on how the 46-year-old prepares his team for the 2026 season.