Last June, Christian McCaffrey was riding high. Fresh off signing a two-year, $38 million extension with the 49ers – making him the NFL’s highest-paid running back -he’d just landed on the cover of Madden 24. Cue the collective groan from superstitious fans. Because as any football junkie knows, the Madden cover curse is as real as a linebacker’s vendetta. And sure enough, before McCaffrey could even hit the gridiron for the season, he found himself on the injury report, battling calf and Achilles issues that lingered through training camp.

That injury messes up McCaffrey’s entire 2024 season. But the good news is that the RB’s back for this season. Now, with OTAs wrapping up and the 49ers prepping for another Super Bowl push, McCaffrey’s facing a reality every elite athlete dreads. And that is: getting older in a young man’s game.

When reporters at the 49ers minicamp asked if he’s modified his approach as he’s gotten older. Christian didn’t hesitate, “Yeah, definitely.” Two words that reveal more about his 2024 journey than any stat ever could.

“I think, you know, it’s funny,” McCaffrey continued. “I’ve had a lot of people tell me that as you get older, you need to do less. And I think there’s just a middle ground with that statement.” Coming from the NFL’s most obsessive competitor, this counts as a revelation. The man who once treated recovery as an afterthought now describes his routine with almost clinical precision: “It’s kind of a constant evaluation of where your body’s at and what you need.”

Christian McCaffrey’s football world took a turn in training camp last year. He hurt his calf and Achilles, which already limited him early on. Then came Week 12, a PCL injury that shut him down for good. On Wednesday, McCaffrey opened up about the grind he’s been through just to get back in shape in time for OTAs.

But the real tell isn’t in his workouts, it’s in who’s calling the shots now. “You put a lot of trust in other people, your trainer, your treatment people, the guys at the facility,” McCaffrey admits. This is from a player who used to treat pain thresholds as personal challenges. That old stubbornness built a career, but 2024’s injuries demanded change. Now there’s a method to the madness. “If you follow their plans… you’re just constantly evaluating where you’re at,” the 29-year-old told reporters. No more brute-forcing through reps – just cold, calculated prep from a vet who’s learned the hard way.

Christian McCaffrey’s redemption tour is officially underway

The walking highlight reel that is Christian McCaffrey has finally pressed reset on his nightmare 2024 season. After spending most of last season sidelined – a brutal follow-up to his MVP-level 2023 – McCaffrey sounds fully reloaded. “I think this offseason I spent a lot of time kind of building back a base starting from scratch, so a lot of it was rehab,” the RB admitted, before dropping the mic with his ultimate flex: “and [I] wanted to put myself in a position where I didn’t miss a day of OTAs. And I could practice and play football again, be healthy and not miss a day, and I did that.“

Even Kyle Shanahan might’ve called him “a psycho in a good way,” but there’s nothing crazy about McCaffrey’s approach now. This was a calculated rebuild – “building back a base starting from scratch” – that turned last season’s frustration into fuel. The numbers tell the story of what the Niners missed: Compare his 2024 glimpses (202 rushing yards, 146 receiving in limited action) to his 2023 Offensive Player of the Year tear (2,023 scrimmage yards, 21 TDs). And it’s obvious why his health changes everything.

What’s remarkable isn’t just that McCaffrey’s healthy again. It’s the road he took to get here. The same player who used to attack every workout like it was fourth-and-goal spent this offseason embracing the unglamorous grind of rehab. No highlight-reel sprints, no ego-driven comebacks – just the quiet, necessary work of rebuilding himself from the ground up. For a competitor like CMC, that patience might be his hardest-earned skill yet.

And for a 49ers team that knows heartbreak, a healthier, wiser Christian McCaffrey might finally be their missing piece.