Rapoport: Offseason Contract Talks Between 49ers & Christian McCaffrey Didn’t Go Anywhere

49ers RB Christian McCaffrey has not practiced for a week with what the team has described as unspecified “tightness.”

Speaking on an episode of The Insiders, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport gave an update on McCaffrey’s absence. He said the injury is not fake and McCaffrey has actual tightness. Rapoport was clear this isn’t a contractual hold-in, and the injury doesn’t seem like anything to worry about.

Rapoport did bring up that the 49ers and McCaffrey had an initial check-in about an extension earlier this offseason. While he doesn’t get the sense those talks went anywhere, Rapoport thinks they might re-visit with another top-of-market deal following the season should he have another terrific year.

Lions RB Jahmyr Gibbs, Falcons RB Bijan Robinson and Colts RB Jonathan Taylor all reset the market this offseason with deals that average at least $22 million per year. McCaffrey has two years remaining under contract and is scheduled to make $12.5 million and $17.5 million in cash.

McCaffrey, 29, is a former first-round pick of the Panthers back in 2017. He was entering the final year of his four-year, $17.224 million contract when the Panthers signed him to a new four-year, $64 million contract extension that also included his expected fifth-year option.

Carolina opted to restructure McCaffrey’s deal before trading him to the 49ers in exchange for a 2023 second, third, and fourth-round pick, as well as a fifth-round pick in 2024.

He was due base salaries of $11.8 million and $12 million over the final two years of the deal before signing a new extension in 2024.

In 2025, McCaffrey appeared in all 17 games for the 49ers and rushed 311 times for 1,202 yards (3.9 YPC) and 10 touchdowns. He also caught 102 passes for 924 yards and seven touchdowns. 

We’ll have more on McCaffrey as the news becomes available.