The official word is that 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey has missed a week of practice due to “tightness.” Some think McCaffrey is simply trying to loosen Jed York’s wallet.
There’s speculation in league circles that McCaffrey has tapped the brakes on his practice time in an effort to get an adjustment to his contract, which pays out a non-guaranteed $12.5 million in 2026.
The timeline fits the hypothesis. Days after Falcons running back Bijan Robinson and Lions running back Jaymyr Gibbs pushed the new-money APY to $22.5 million per year, McCaffrey stopped practicing.
McCaffrey, now 30, has perhaps one more bite at the apple in his career. He had a league-leading 413 touches in 2025, and he’s expected to be a major cog in the offense again. For $12.5 million in return.
As Simms mentioned on Monday’s PFT Live, there was a thought last year that McCaffrey wanted a sweetener before the season started. That didn’t happen. If he wanted one then, he’ll want one now — especially after how much he contributed to a team that scrambled to hold things together through another rash of injuries.
This year’s rash of injuries includes McCaffrey, if he’s truly injured. If he’s simply avoiding practice in order to keep himself healthy, it’s smart business.
He doesn’t need to be going all out for now. Especially if he’s looking for a bump in his pay and some financial security for 2026 and beyond.
