The San Francisco 49ers have made a flurry of moves this offseason, just like multiple teams around the league.
In March, former 49ers QB Sam Darnold signed a three-year, $100.5 million deal that included $55 million guaranteed with the Seattle Seahawks. Now Darnold will face off against his former club twice a year, but he still has positive words to say about Christian McCaffrey.
Darnold spoke to NBC Sports Bay Area in support of the Lowe's Foundation to support SkillsUSA National Signing Day and expressed that he believes McCaffrey will be ready to bounce back in 2025.
He said, "Christian, whether he goes through what he went through last year, or he goes through what he went through two years ago, which was one of the best seasons of football that I’ve ever seen, he’s always going to have that fire under him. He doesn’t need external motivation.”
Darnold added, "The best trait that Christian has is he is the most internally motivated person I’ve ever met in my life. He will always be that way, and that guy does not need any other motivation other than just, he what he wants to prove to himself on a day to day basis.”
Sam Darnold Speaks Highly About Christian McCaffrey
McCaffrey is looking to bounce back after an injury-riddled season in 2024. Last season, he dealt with Achilles tendinitis before suffering a PCL injury that ended his campaign. He even traveled to Germany to receive some treatment for his Achilles.
That was a letdown for him and the 49ers, but look for him to be ready to roll in 2025. Just like Darnold said, the Stanford product doesn't need any extra motivation. In 31 games with San Francisco, he has 2,407 rushing yards, 1,174 receiving yards, and 31 total touchdowns.
When healthy, he's one of the best playmakers in the league, and Darnold knows how McCarthy is wired. There's no doubt that he's putting the work in this offseason to get back to that form.