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Christian McCaffrey of the San Francisco 49ers.

In a year where the San Francisco 49ers offense has battled instability at quarterback and multiple injuries to its primary playmakers, running back Christian McCaffrey has stepped up.

CMC currently leads the NFL in total yards from scrimmage (981), and is also first in touches (185). Despite his heavy workload, some aren’t keen on what they’re seeing from McCaffrey this season.

Bleacher Report’s Brad Gagnon listed each team’s “most disappointing” player, and for the Niners, he named CMC.

“While the three-time Pro Bowler has at least remained healthy as the rest of the roster crumbles, he’s averaging a career-low 3.5 yards per carry,” Gagnon wrote on October 23, adding: “That said, he carried the team to victory in Week 7. Again, I’m just trying to avoid going after injured guys, but Brandon Aiyuk would also be an acceptable answer here.”

Is Christian McCaffrey the San Francisco 49ers’ Most Disappointing Player so Far in 2025?

GettyChristian McCaffrey of the San Francisco 49ers has been named the team’s most disappointing player so far in 2025 by Bleacher Report..

Put simply, saying McCaffrey is the team’s biggest disappointment is nonsense. We’d argue McCaffrey remains the team’s most reliable all-purpose player. Despite his 3.5 yards per carry average being low, he has 465 yards on the ground, and he also leads the team in receptions (53) and receiving yards (516). His dual-threat role alone would make him indispensable for any team’s offense, much less one that has been dealing with injuries at the QB position.

Niners head coach Kyle Shanahan has heard the talk about his All-Pro running back not playing up to the expectations of others.

“I don’t know what he listens to or not,” Shanahan said on October 22. “I know Christian has a high standard, what he expects to do running the ball. I do personally, I know our whole team does. So, not getting the production that we would like these first five weeks I think had us all pissed off. I’m not saying we were pissed off, that’s why we did it well in Week 6. We try our hardest every week. But yeah, when we’re not running the ball well, no one’s happy around here, especially Christian.”

49ers Currently Have Top 10 Offense, Passing Game

The 49ers offense is currently ranked sixth in the NFL in total yards per game (366.6), and the unit is ranked No. 1 in most passing yards per game (271.3). McCaffrey’s versatility is a big reason for that.

Moreover, McCaffrey, who is on a $38 million deal, entered 2025 fully healthy after the injury-plagued 2024 season that limited him to just four games. Thus, selecting him as “most disappointing” feels just wrong.

If one sought a better candidate on the 49ers roster more worthy of the “most disappointing” tag, there are stronger contenders. The absence of Aiyuk looms especially large—his injury and delayed return significantly impacted the receiver room and thrust even more burden onto McCaffrey. Quarterback Brock Purdy also hasn’t been able to stay on the field, and rookie defensive lineman Mykel Williams has yet to make much of an impression for a first-rounder.

All are better candidates for the label than McCaffrey. It’d be totally fair to say CMC might be under-celebrated in his role this season, but calling him disappointing after all he’s done is silly.

Beth Mishler-Elmore Beth Mishler-Elmore is a Heavy sports contributor based in the Midwest, focusing on the NFL, NBA and WNBA. More about Beth Mishler-Elmore

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