49ers' Christian McCaffrey is working less. His thoughts? It's complicated

San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey (23) following the NFL game against the Miami Dolphins at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara on Sunday, Sept. 20, 2026. The 49ers won 35-13. (Santiago Mejia/S.F. Chronicle) Kyle Shanahan is taking better care of Christian McCaffrey this season. How does McCaffrey feel about that?"That's a good question," the San Francisco 49ers running back said.The short answer: McCaffrey is conflicted.A year after McCaffrey had an NFL-high 413 touches, the most in the league since 2014, Shanahan appears to be finally making good on his annual offseason pledge to lessen his workload. McCaffrey's 80 touches rank 18th in the NFL and his average of 16 touches per game would be his lowest since his rookie year in 2017.At an advanced age (30) and with plenty of career mileage (McCaffrey's 2,364 touches rank second among active players), the Stanford graduate with an unofficial Ph.D. in body maintenance understands less pounding will likely lengthen his NFL life.And yet: He's Christian McCaffrey, one of the best dual-threat running backs in NFL history and the engine of every team he's played for since he was carrying the Douglas County (Colo.) Dolphins 23 years ago."I want the ball every play," McCaffrey said. "That's been (that way) since I was 7."McCaffrey wasn't expressing displeasure about his reduced touch total. That quote was part of a long, nuanced answer in which he referenced being part of a 5-0 team that also employs tight end George Kittle and wide receiver Mike Evans, fellow future Hall of Fame candidates."I want to win - whatever it takes to win games," McCaffrey said. "I think what I love about this team is you've got a bunch of selfish, unselfish guys. Obviously, people want the ball every play, but not at the expense of the team. …"I think we've got to do whatever it takes to win and when you have a roster like ours where the ball can get spread around so much, you should probably not get as many touches, either. It's never my job to count them, but to make them count."Why is Shanahan finally taking better care of McCaffrey this season? It's not about extending his career. It's about reinvigorating his rushing attack.McCaffrey was productive in 2025. He ranked second in the NFL in yards from scrimmage (2,126), was sixth in catches (102) and finished fourth in the NFL MVP voting.However, he wasn't as efficient – or explosive. McCaffrey averaged 3.9 yards per carry, his lowest average since his 2017 rookie season, and a figure that ranked 23rd among 26 running backs who had 175-plus carries. McCaffrey had three runs of 20-plus yards on 311 carries, averaging one every 110.3 attempts. In his first two-plus seasons with the 49ers, McCaffrey averaged a run of 20-plus yards every 28.3 attempts.The 49ers ranked 24th in rushing yards per game (106.9) and 30th in yards per attempt (3.8), among the worst finishes in Shanahan's 18 seasons as an offensive play-caller. The last time Shanahan's offense ranked lower in rushing yards: 2011. The last time it ranked lower in yards per attempt: 2009."In order for us to be the running team we want to be - in order to have Christian be as good as he can be throughout the whole year - we've got to get someone helping," Shanahan said in late March.That someone, of course, is Kaelon Black. The rookie third-round pick has 136 yards on 37 carries and is on pace for 126 attempts this season. Last year, Brian Robinson, McCaffrey's top backup, had 92 attempts.The 49ers' ground game has improved. They rank eighth in the NFL in rushing yards per game (128.6) and 11th in yards per carry (4.6). On Thursday, when asked about McCaffrey's lighter workload, Shanahan said the 49ers have better backfield depth this season. Along with Black, the 49ers have also used wide receiver Deebo Samuel, who has nine carries."I think we had more confidence going into this season to rotate (McCaffrey) with the guys behind him," Shanahan said. "We wanted to do that to - not necessarily keep him healthy - but just keep him his freshest throughout the game as we could."McCaffrey (286 yards, 61 carries) is averaging 4.7 yards per attempt, which would be his highest average since 2023, and he's been better in the second half of games. He's averaged 4.4 yards per carry (118 yards, 27 carries) before halftime and 4.9 (168, 34) in the final two quarters.Not that he's interested in pacing himself."I don't think you play the game to stay fresh," McCaffrey said. "I think you play to win, whatever it takes to win."The 49ers are winning with McCaffrey working less. How does he feel about that? It's complicated. The short answer: He's conflicted.SubscribeThere’s more to San Francisco with the Chronicle. Subscribe today for just 25¢.This article originally published at 49ers' Christian McCaffrey is working less. His thoughts? It's complicated.