Darren Yamashita-USA TODAY Sports
San Francisco 49ers star running back Christian McCaffrey will turn 30 next year—an age often seen as a turning point for NFL players, particularly running backs who endure significant wear and tear over their careers.
Some doubted whether McCaffrey could bounce back in 2025 after an injury-plagued 2024 campaign. Instead, he’s silenced the skeptics, producing 1,222 scrimmage yards and eight total touchdowns so far this season. One CBS Sports analyst even boldly predicted McCaffrey could surpass Colts running back Jonathan Taylor for NFL Offensive Player of the Year honors.
McCaffrey currently leads the league with 229 touches, including an NFL-high 168 carries, and has played 85% of the 49ers’ offensive snaps. That heavy workload has sparked questions about whether the running back might wear down as he nears the age of 30.
Tight end George Kittle addressed the topic on Thursday when asked about McCaffrey’s usage and how often he takes himself out of games. Kittle didn’t hold back, making it clear he finds the “shelf life” narrative ridiculous.
“When he has several plays in a row, he usually does [take himself out], or a deep route,” Kittle said. “But I disagree with the shelf life thing. I think Christian does a good job taking care of his body, and I think he’ll play as long as he wants to play.”
Kittle then drew a comparison to Baltimore Ravens running back Derrick Henry, who turns 32 soon and continues to produce at an elite level. Henry has rushed for over 1,100 yards in six of the last seven seasons and is currently on pace to top 1,300 yards in 2025 after finishing just shy of 2,000 last year.
“I think he’s doing just fine,” Kittle continued. “I think the shelf life thing’s kind of BS, but whatever.”
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