Following the 49ers’ heartbreaking Super Bowl loss on Feb. 11, 2024, Christian McCaffrey entered last offseason with vengeance on his mind.
But after coming off an injury-riddled, underwhelming 2024 campaign, McCaffrey is even more motivated, but in a different way.
“Oh, man, he’s so motivated,” Christian’s dad, Ed McCaffrey, told SportsCasting’s Kyle Odegard this week. “He’s been one of the best players in the world for a long time now, and he trains so religiously. He’s all about the process, and doing whatever he can possibly do to get better. He’s going to be as ready as he can be.”
McCaffrey is known for his intense work ethic and “football psycho” mentality, but it appears he’s taking a different approach while working his way back from multiple leg injuries.
Following a dominant 2023 season in which he walked away as the AP Offensive Player of the Year, the All-Pro running back finished the 2024 campaign with 202 rushing yards, 146 receiving yards and no touchdowns in just four games.
Ed believes his son is being more patient with the process this offseason, versus rushing himself back to the field in anticipation of the upcoming season.
“He’s patient this year,” Ed McCaffrey told Odegard. “Last year, he was really eager to get to the field after they lost the Super Bowl. He couldn’t wait to play again and probably over-trained a little bit going into training camp. But this year he’s got a great plan.
“He’s been religious about it, getting great workouts in and trying to stay patient. We’re going to blink and they’re going to be suiting up for Week 1. It’s going to be here before we know it, and he’ll be ready.”
McCaffrey attended all of San Francisco’s offseason program with what he referred to as “zero restrictions.”
While he takes a new approach on the field with his training this summer, he’ll also adjust to a major new part of his life off the field as he and his wife Olivia are expecting their first child in the coming weeks.
“He’s got a lot of wonderful things going on in his life,” Ed told Odegard. “He got married last year to Olivia (Culpo). Olivia is a saint. They’re having a baby. I’m going to be a grandad next month. Luckily, Olivia understands his schedule. He never misses a workout, never misses a treatment.
“Everything he does is to become the best football player he can be for his team.”
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