Christian McCaffrey is a Favorite to Win Comeback Player Award

One of the reasons 2024 went awry for the San Francisco 49ers was being without Christian McCaffrey.

The offense may have operated well in the run game, but McCaffrey's absence negatively impacted the pass game and the red zone offense.

McCaffrey has his eyes set on a major bounce-back season in 2025 now that he is fully fit. Because his 2024 season was derailed by injury, he is a prime candidate for the NFL Comeback Player of the Year award in 2025.

DraftKings sportsbook has McCaffrey one of the betting favorites with the third-best odds +350. The only two players ahead of him are Dak Prescott (+250) and Aidan Hutchinson (+250).

The former Offensive Player of the Year has a tall task ahead of him this upcoming season. He has to prove that his bilateral Achilles injury and knee injury are in the past.

McCaffrey and the 49ers can boast about how fully fit he is all they want. No one should take their words at face value.

Remember, they were downplaying McCaffrey's injury for most of last season. McCaffrey is an enormous question mark heading into 2025 with his health.

Once he can prove he can hold up, it will be about whether or not he is still the same player. You could make the case that he still will be, since he essentially took a season off.

It wouldn't be shocking to see him still be a high-level player or a shell of himself. Either way, the 49ers will need him to be impactful in any capacity.

Even if he has lost a step, he still will give enough influence in the offense to provide a benefit.

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