"When it rains, it pours": Christian McCaffrey expresses gratitude to 49ers fans with a heartfelt message after landing on IR

Christian McCaffrey had an incredibly hard year in the form of injuries during the 2024 NFL season, which seemed to overshadow his undeniable talent and contributions to the San Francisco 49ers. This star running back proved so agile and flexible in injuries, bad breaks and unfortunate events that he had to leave the field for the rest of the year. Despite that, nothing could take away McCaffrey's character and surprise in determination that would make a permanent imprint in the minds of his fans and colleagues.

McCaffrey's injury spell started before the season even started when he had bilateral Achilles tendonitis, which brought him to the Injured Reserve list. He even went to Germany for proper consultation from a specialist to get the best possible treatment. After about three months spent in rehabilitation, he returned in Week 10, where people saw glimpses of what he can do over the next four games. Unfortunately, in a very important Week 13 game against the Buffalo Bills, McCaffrey injured his PCL. This was his second season-ending stint on IR, having limited participation to four games and leaving the 49ers to finish their campaign without their ace.
On Wednesday, McCaffrey shared a heartfelt message with fans on Instagram, discussing the tough and challenging time he faced this season.
"Football is the greatest game on the planet to me," McCaffrey wrote. "I love that you can find out exactly who you are without ever saying a word. It lifts you up and breaks you down and it can happen fast. It's humbling in the best ways. You can do everything right and still fail. Thats life and that's football. It's a constant test of wills and those who just keep going tend to reap the benefits of their perseverance.

"This wasn't my year, and sometimes when it rains, it pours. You can feel sorry for yourself and listen to the birds, or you can hold the line. I'm grateful for the support of everyone in my corner and promise I'll work smarter and harder than ever to come back better from this. I love my teammates, I love the 9ers, and I love football. God doesn't miss. Onward."
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Head coach Kyle Shanahan reflected on McCaffrey’s situation, shedding light on his resilience:
"I think he's doing alright. I think he was extremely disappointed right when it happened, for a couple days. Just talking to him yesterday, I think he's accepting it. It's just not his year, obviously, the way it started out, how hard he worked to get back and then having that random injury that he had in Buffalo."
McCaffrey’s 2024 performance concluded with 348 scrimmage yards, including 202 rushing yards on 50 carries—numbers that hint at what could have been in a healthier season.