Christian McCaffrey posted some workout photos on Thursday and the internet promptly lost its mind. Which, fair.
McCaffrey is 30 years old and heading into his 10th NFL season. He spent most of 2024 rehabbing from a knee injury that limited him to four games. Then he came back last season looking like he hadn’t missed a step: 1,202 rushing yards, 10 touchdowns on the ground, another 924 yards and seven scores through the air. The league gave him Comeback Player of the Year. The 49ers offense looked functional again.
On Instagram, McCaffrey shared a series of pictures from his training. Shirtless. Veins out. The kind of physique that makes you wonder if human beings are supposed to look like that.
Fans did what fans do.
“CMC IS HIM,” wrote @49ermac.
“OMG, the aura,” added @julianzapanta.
“My dude out here training like Van Damme in ‘Kickboxer,’” said @elkas49phan.
Two of his teammates chimed in too. Fullback Kyle Juszczyk just wrote “Yup.” Receiver Ricky Pearsall dropped a yoga emoji. That’s about all you need from a comment section.
McCaffrey has never been casual about his body. The guy treats recovery like a second job. But that’s the cost of being used the way the 49ers use him. He touches the ball 20-plus times a game. He runs between the tackles. He runs routes out of the backfield. He pass protects. He does everything.
The Work Doesn’t Stop at 30
Running backs tend to fall off a cliff around this age. The list of guys who were still elite at 30 is short and mostly Hall of Famers. McCaffrey doesn’t seem concerned.
“We play 17 regular-season games a year, and everybody’s livelihoods are on the line,” he said recently. “I would say on Sunday, you’ve got to do whatever it takes to win.”
That’s the attitude. And the 49ers will lean on him again. They don’t have much choice. The offense runs through McCaffrey when he’s healthy. Brock Purdy is good. The receivers are talented. But McCaffrey is the engine.
San Francisco opens the season against the Los Angeles Rams. One fan on Instagram already called it: “This guy is about to run a 75-yard TD in the first game.”
We’ll see. But if those workout photos are any indication, McCaffrey isn’t planning to slow down anytime soon.
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