We won’t see Christian McCaffrey until Week 1, as the San Francisco 49ers want to play it safe with the reigning Offensive Player of the Year. McCaffrey is recovering from a calf strain and there’s no reason for him to risk injury during the preseason. He’s too important to the Niners’ success.
McCaffrey has suffered several injuries throughout his career, with his 2020 and 2021 seasons shortened to ten games. However, Christian still believes he can play until his mid-30s. He said this in a recent interview, citing former 49ers running backs Raheem Mostert and Derrick Henry as examples.
That would be abnormal, as most running backs don’t get more than two four-year contracts. But if there’s one running back who could make it in today’s NFL, it’s McCaffrey. Here’s what he said about playing into his 30s:
“Absolutely. I don’t put any limits on myself. I always go with how I feel and I feel fantastic. I feel great. I look at guys in the league who are my age and still playing. Guys who are older than me like Derrick Henry and Raheem Mostert. They’re in their 30s and Pro Bowler and All-Pro level players. I absolutely believe you can keep going as long as you want.”
Mostert, as we know, started late in his career and didn’t have much tread on the tires. Henry is in the other boat. To date, with a one-year head start, McCaffrey has 256 more touches than McCaffrey.
For those who don’t know, McCaffrey was a fantastic multi-sport athlete growing up in Colorado. He was one of the state’s top track and field athletes. McCaffrey explained how playing multiple sports helped him become a better athlete:
“If you want to be a good running back, learn how to play point guard. If you want to be faster, run track. The fastest kids in school all ran track, and I wanted to be fast, so I ran track. I think learning how to make a cut helps in football, develops hand-eye coordination, the ability to jump, and spatial awareness in basketball.
You may not see it right away, but it’s more for your brain and your cognitive abilities to adapt to movement – changing speeds and stopping and feeling movement. I think athletes – the people who can run, jump, stop and start in place – are the best athletes. Many of them played multiple sports growing up.”
McCaffrey implores young athletes to grow into multi-sport athletes and believes this is the best advice he can give:
“I think we all live in a time where kids focus on one sport year-round. I think that can lead to bad habits. You might be better at that age, but I don’t think it’s better for you in the long run. I think one of the best things I did as a kid was basketball, track and baseball. Because you train your brain more than anything else about being athletic. The best football players are the best athletes.”
McCaffrey is an outstanding athlete, so it’s no surprise that he’s one of the NFL’s best players. He was the starting runner in 2013 when his 4×200-meter team set a national record.
