The San Francisco 49ers offense hasn’t been able to create nearly as many yards after the catch without running back Christian McCaffrey.
The San Francisco 49ers are likely going to play the entirety of the 2024 season without one of the best offensive weapons in the league.
Star running back Christian McCaffrey was surprisingly ruled out with an Achilles tendinitis injury before Week 1, and recent updates revealed that he is dealing with bilateral Achilles tendonitis, which simply means he has the ailment in both legs.
With McCaffrey heading to Germany for treatment, the 49ers have spent the first month of the season attempting to fill his void. While backup running back Jordan Mason has done an admirable job in stepping up to the starting position, a player as talented as McCaffrey cannot easily be replaced.
49ers offense isn’t generating yards after catch
Without McCaffrey, only 25 percent of quarterback Brock Purdy’s passing yards have been generated from yards after the catch, according to ESPN’s Benjamin Solak. Since 2000, no quarterback has played a full season with less than 29.8 percent of their passing yards coming after the catch.
Over the years, few offenses have been able to generate more yards after the catch than the West Coast system deployed by San Francisco head coach Kyle Shanahan.
Shanahan’s zone run offensive scheme centers around zone run and West Coast passing principles. The scheme is well-known for allowing nearly any running back to thrive, but McCaffrey added another dimension to the potent offense.
During the 2023 season, McCaffrey ranked No. 25 with 461 yards after catch. Niners star wide receiver Deebo Samuel had 527 yards after catch in 2023, ninth-most among all wide receivers. Niners wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk also contributed after the catch in his breakout season. Aiyuk produced 382 yards after the catch in 2023, 18th-most among all wide receivers.
Aiyuk hasn’t helped matters this season, however. After his tumultuous offseason, he has managed to create just 29 yards after the catch through four games this season, 17th-fewest among all wide receivers, per NFL Next Gen Stats.
Samuel missed Week 3 with a calf injury, but he has already created an additional 67 yards after catch this season.