The San Francisco 49ers may have a bit of a cash crunch, as they have to figure out how to give wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk and quarterback Brock Purdy contract extensions while keeping all of their other key players.
But it didn’t prevent them from giving an extension to one of their other stars.
They gave running back Christian McCaffrey a two-year contract extension that runs through the 2027 season and reportedly averages about $19 million a year.
He will be 31 years of age during the last year of that extension, but head coach Kyle Shanahan doesn’t sound too concerned about him maintaining his production at that time.
Shanahan called McCaffrey “one of the more talented people that have ever been in my life” while adding that he “takes care of his body as good as anyone,” per 95.7 The Game.
McCaffrey is the NFL’s reigning Offensive Player of the Year, and he led the league with 1,459 rushing yards while adding 14 rushing touchdowns in 2023.
But he is also an adept pass-catcher — not just on screen passes, but also on actual routes while lining up as a wide receiver.
Last year, he caught 67 passes and tallied 564 receiving yards and seven receiving touchdowns.
The 49ers acquired him via trade from the Carolina Panthers midway through the 2022 season, and he instantly took them from good to great while raising the ceiling on their offensive potential.
He is a big reason they came very close to winning the Super Bowl championship last season and why plenty are picking them to win it all this coming season.
