Final 12 months’s Offensive Participant of the Yr simply hasn’t been the identical in 2024 up to now, however Kyle Shanahan believes it’s ‘unfair’ to count on a lot out of Christian McCaffrey after spending so lengthy on the sideline.
Gradual Begin For McCaffrey
Christian McCaffrey was unquestionably the perfect non-quarterback within the NFL final 12 months however after being recognized with tendinitis in the summertime, the working again started a protracted highway to restoration forward of 2024.
After spending weeks on finish receiving therapy on each of his calves, McCaffrey lastly made his season debut for the Niners in week 10 in opposition to the Seahawks.
However final 12 months’s Offensive Participant of the Yr hasn’t been his traditional driving drive since returning and his output is a mere fraction of the numbers he was placing up final 12 months.
McCaffrey missed out on a lot whereas sidelined that it comes as no shock he has endured a gradual begin to his marketing campaign, however Niners head coach Kyle Shanahan believes expectations have been set too excessive.
“The hypothesis on Christian, I feel, is just a little bit unfair to him,” Shanahan mentioned. “Christian’s enjoying very nicely, he’s enjoying his ass off. However to assume a man who misses a complete offseason is simply going to be the very same the day he will get again can be unfair to any participant on the earth, I really feel like.”
Kyle Shanahan says it’s an “unrealistic expectation” to assume Christian McCaffrey ought to be enjoying on the identical degree as he did final season#49ers pic.twitter.com/Wod9e2wbqs
— Kevin Krueger (@kevinkruegs) November 27, 2024
The working again managed simply 31 speeding yards in week 12, which was his lowest recorded determine since becoming a member of the 49ers and his worst afternoon since week 4 in 2022.
“So, I feel Christian’s doing a hell of a job.” Shanahan continued, “however to simply assume him coming again in Week 8 with not having the ability to do something for the final 9 months or no matter it’s, and to assume he’s simply going to be in MVP type is a really unrealistic expectation.”
San Francisco face Buffalo in Monday evening soccer this week as McCaffrey continues his comeback, nonetheless in search of his first landing of the 12 months.
