The 49ers are coming off a miserable 6-11 season and they didn’t do much the past couple months to improve their roster in the short term. So what’s the biggest reason for optimism heading into 2025?

CBS Sports says it’s the fact that Christian McCaffrey is back healthy.

“The San Francisco 49ers’ season literally got off on the wrong foot on Day 1 with Christian McCaffrey being sidelined for the bulk of the year due to an Achilles injury,” writes CBS Sports’ Tyler Sullivan. “McCaffrey was able to return in mid-November, but then suffered a PCL injury in his right knee that put him on the shelf for the rest of the year. Looking towards 2025, McCaffrey currently has zero restrictions, so he’s all systems go at the moment, which is ideal for the Niners’ hopes of rebounding after a 6-11 season.”

To be fair, McCaffrey had no restrictions at this time last season, either. Then he went down with bilateral Achilles tendonitis after a week of training camp. That’s an overuse injury that could pop up at any time.

McCaffrey isn’t young anymore. He’ll be 29 in June. When he returned from his Achilles injuries last season, he didn’t run the ball particularly well — he averaged just 4.0 yards per carry. Which means there’s a significant chance he won’t be as effective or as durable as he was in the past.

That’s why I think Robert Saleh is the 49ers’ biggest reason for optimism in 2025. The 49ers always have had a defensive identity under Kyle Shanahan and Saleh is one of the best defensive coaches in the NFL. He could turn the 49ers defense into a top-10 unit right away.