Christian McCaffrey ‘Fired Up' by This 49ers Signing - And He Should Be

San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey was a machine last season.

The three-time All-Pro tallied 311 rushes for 1,202 yards and 10 touchdowns on top of 102 catches for 924 yards and seven touchdowns. As injuries piled up all around him, McCaffrey was the 49ers’ lone source of consistency.

It won him AP Comeback Player of the Year and propelled San Francisco to a surprising 12-5 record, but it isn’t sustainable. McCaffrey also won Comeback Player of the Year because of bilateral Achilles tendinitis and a PCL injury that cost him all but four games in 2024.

As McCaffrey enters his age-30 season, prolonging his career for as long as possible should be a top priority. The 49ers’ splashiest free agency signing shows they understand that.

The 49ers’ offense will still orbit around McCaffrey, but they moved to make it easier on him by signing star wide receiver Mike Evans to a three-year contract in free agency last month.

“I was so fired up, man,” McCaffrey said of his initial reaction to Evans’ signing while speaking with Ian Rapoport on “The Insiders.” “He’s somebody that, if you’re a fan of football, you’ve watched his entire career, and it’s hard not to like the guy. He’s a first-ballot Hall of Famer. He’s somebody that, in my opinion, has never gotten enough credit, and I think he plays that way.”

McCaffrey continued, “He plays with a chip on his shoulder. He’s one of the best go-ball runners in the history of the NFL. He blocks his butt off. He’s mean. And he’s the perfect fit for our offense, man.”

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers drafted Evans at No. 7 overall in 2014. From 2014 to 2024, Evans tied Jerry Rice as the only players in NFL history to record at least 1,000 receiving yards in 11 straight seasons.

Last year, Evans was limited to eight games due to a broken collarbone and posted career lows across the board, but there’s enough evidence to conclude that will be an anomaly.

The 49ers also signed veteran wide receiver Christian Kirk and re-signed tight end Jake Tonges, but Evans is the clear WR1, even in his age-33 season.

Evans’ presence will be particularly crucial at the beginning of next season, as All-Pro tight end George Kittle works back from a torn Achilles suffered in the 49ers’ NFC Wild Card win over Philadelphia in January.

San Francisco holds six picks in the upcoming 2026 NFL Draft, including No. 27 overall. The draft will take place from April 23 to April 25. See the full order here.

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This story was originally published April 14, 2026 at 9:48 PM.