Report: San Francisco 49ers Plan To Use Star Less After Signing Him To Extension

Report: San Francisco 49ers Plan To Use Star Less After Signing Him To Extension

The San Francisco 49ers plan to use one of their star offensive weapons less in the regular season after signing him to an extension this offseason. The 49ers are worried about the longevity of one of the most important pieces of their offense, Christian McCaffrey. However, that plan will hinge on how things work out with other offensive playmakers like Elijah Mitchell and Brandon Aiyuk.

The San Francisco 49ers paid Christian McCarthy big time

As previously discussed on GH, the 49ers extended McCaffrey’s contract earlier this month. The four-time All-Pro running back earned a raise in a two-year, $38 million extension with $24 million guaranteed. He’s signed with the 49ers through the 2027 season and added an extra $8 million more than what he was scheduled to receive in his first two seasons.

Since being traded to San Francisco during the 2022 season, McCaffrey has been arguably the key piece of the 49ers’ offense. Per The Athletic, the 49ers want to hold back on using McCaffrey as much this season. They’re worried about putting too much wear and tear on a running back they’re investing so much money in through the 2027 season.

Head coach Kyle Shanahan had a hard time putting McCaffrey on the bench last season due to Mitchell’s injury and how effective the league’s 2023 Offensive Player of the Year was when he was on the field. However, they know eventually, such reckless use will come with diminishing returns.

The 49ers want to protect McCaffrey

Per The Athletic article, Shanahan said he wants to protect McCaffrey “from himself” this season:

“We have guys that can run the ball,” Shanahan said earlier this month. “We have to protect Christian from himself. He doesn’t like to ever come out no matter what the situation is and I do think that’s something we could protect him with more. When you are such a threat in the pass game, it’s a little bit different.

But if he’s just taking the wear and tear with 20 carries and stuff every game — and he’s definitely good enough to do that and he has proved he can stay healthy — but you’d like to take some of that off of him and give it to other guys also.”

Will the 49ers have Aiyuk to help carry the load?

The 49ers would also like to give the ball more to Aiyuk. But it’s unclear if the 49ers will have Aiyuk on the sideline for the 2024 season if they do not agree to a new deal before September. The 49ers would prefer, at least this season, to use Aiyuk like the Cincinnati Bengals are Tee Higgins.

Aiyuk could sit out as the team argues over $2 million per year for him in the same offseason they gave their running back an extra $4 million per year.

One has to wonder if McCaffrey’s pay raise might mean the team has to give him the ball more this season at the risk of his longevity. The 49ers are taking a risk by being the team that overspends at a position of rapidly diminishing value, and disrespecting (at least for now) positions of premium value.

Want more articles like this? Follow Gridiron Heroics on MSN to see more of our exclusive NFL content.

More must-reads: