At a time when NFL groups have thumbed their noses on the working again place, the San Francisco 49ers and Christian McCaffrey stay an outlier available in the market.
The 49ers went in opposition to the grain through the 2022 season once they dedicated vital draft belongings (second-, third- and fourth-round picks in 2023 and a 2024 fifth-rounder) to commerce for him from the Carolina Panthers. The Niners continued that on Tuesday once they signed him to a two-year contract extension that may pay him greater than $19 million per season and make him the highest-paid participant within the league on the place.
The rising development throughout the NFL in recent times has been to pick working backs on day two of the draft, run them into the bottom on their rookie contracts after which repeat the method when it comes time for his or her subsequent contract.
The 49ers aren’t doing that with McCaffrey, committing to him past his age-30 season and regardless of him placing vital mileage on his physique all through his profession.
It is a testomony to how particular of a participant McCaffrey is — and the way vital he’s to the 49ers offense.
He is not solely a dynamic runner and top-of-the-line within the league on the subject of really working the ball, he’s additionally an important cog within the 49ers passing recreation. He has the flexibility to line up within the backfield, within the slot, out huge and just about wherever on the offense and make an affect.
The 2023 season was the second time in his profession that he has led the league in yards from scrimmage and the second time he has led the league in complete touchdowns. He is likely one of the principal cogs that makes the 49ers offensive machine run and is a good safety blanket for quarterback Brock Purdy.
The 49ers are paying him as such.
There’s a hazard in sports activities on the subject of being too dedicated to traits. For many gamers and groups, it makes vital monetary sense to churn by means of younger, low-cost working backs and proceed to herald recent gamers each few years. However there are all the time exceptions to those issues, and the really elite gamers have a tendency to face out above the remaining.
McCaffrey is a kind of gamers, and his significance to the 49ers can’t be overstated. He’s a game-changer for them, and they’re clever to verify they hold him. Even when it comes on the expense of one other key participant on the offense in future seasons.
