San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey is poised to make his 2024 season debut after an extended recovery from Achilles tendinitis. His return could come as soon as this weekend against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and anticipation is high among teammates, coaches, and fans eager to see the reigning NFL Offensive Player of the Year back in action.
McCaffrey adds a dynamic element to the offense, contributing both in the run and pass games, which forces defenses to stay alert.
"Everything's an uptick with Christian [in the lineup]," offensive line coach and run game coordinator Chris Foerster told to reporters on Thursday. "I'm not going to joke. Everything gets a little bit better with him, obviously."
Defensive coordinator Nick Sorensen remembers having to prepare for McCaffrey before working together with the 49ers.
"He's a tough matchup problem in the pass game," Sorensen noted. "But he's also just an awesome runner. He has great vision. He's not some guy that you think is smaller, that won't hit it inside. He's got great vision. Obviously, his ability to cut and run and break tackles, but he's also really tough. The obvious one is how he can do so many different things in the pass game."
In McCaffrey's absence, younger backs like Jordan Mason and rookie Isaac Guerendo have stepped up and gained valuable experience, deepening the team's running back rotation. Learning from McCaffrey has only benefitted their development.
Foerster acknowledged that McCaffrey's presence changes the 49ers' game-planning options against opposing defenses. Still, the rise of other contributors has helped offset his absence. The hope is that McCaffrey's return will ignite an offense that's been inconsistent.
"It's always good to have a great player back on the field working with you," Foerster shared. "And when he's out there, he practices so hard, and everything's right. That's the thing you see. ... He hits the hole right in time, perfect timing, perfect pacing of the play, catches some balls down the field, and seeing things like that."
Quarterback Brock Purdy is equally excited to have one of his top offensive weapons back.
"It's been awesome," Purdy said. "Just what he brings to the table and really just firing everybody else up, all of us coming off the bye week, and feeling good and fresh. And then you get 23 next to you in the backfield, it's been awesome. Looks great moving around, and he's trending in the right direction. So we're excited to see what happens."
Purdy also noted that McCaffrey's presence draws the opposing defense's focus, opening up options for other playmakers.
"But more than anything, we have really good playmakers across the board, and we're going to try to get the ball into all our guys' hands at the right time, in the right situation," Purdy added. "It's always nice, though, knowing that I can go through my read and come back down to Christian."
The 49ers have cautiously approached McCaffrey's return, allowing him time to fully recover to ensure he's available for the crucial final stretch of the season.
"It's a process getting ready to play," Foerster explained. "There'll be no decisions made until later in the week, obviously, but having him back, just being out there and practicing, is really, really cool for the whole team. It energizes everybody."