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SANTA CLARA, California — The biggest beneficiary of an extended offseason for the San Francisco 49ers just might have been the health of star running back Christian McCaffrey.

A year after he was limited to just four games due to injuries to his Achilles tendon and knee, the engine of San Francisco's high-powered offense was on the practice field for the offseason program and is hoping to get back to the form that made him AP Offensive Player of the Year during a run to the Super Bowl in the 2023 season.

A healthy McCaffrey would be a key component for San Francisco to rebound from a 6-11 season that at least provided a side benefit of more time off in the winter following three straight years of long playoff runs.

"Being fully transparent, obviously last year didn't go the way I wanted," McCaffrey said. "It didn't go the way anyone wanted. But, having this time off has allowed me to start from scratch and have the time where I can build a base again, come into OTAs, play football and now get back into it mentally, emotionally, physically — in all ways. It was much needed, and I'm happy we had it."

McCaffrey plans to spend the long break before training camp starts in late July staying in shape and becoming a father. McCaffrey and his wife, model Olivia Culpo, are expecting their first child "right around the corner".

McCaffrey looked fresh during the offseason program after sitting it out last year, as he recovered from a grueling season and waited for a new contract that came last June.

McCaffrey had 798 touches from scrimmage in 2023-24 in the regular season and playoffs — more than 100 more than any other player in the league during that span.

That workload likely contributed to the Achilles tendinitis that sidelined McCaffrey early in training camp last season, and forced him to miss the first eight games of the season.

He then injured his posterior cruciate ligament in his fourth game back and missed the final five games of the season.

With McCaffrey on the sideline, an offense that was the most dangerous in the league following his arrival midway through the 2022 season took a step back last season, as the Niners struggled overall.

Coach Kyle Shanahan said he is aware that he needs to manage McCaffrey's workload this summer in order "to protect him from himself" and make sure he's healthy and fresh when the games count.

"He is a psycho, in a good way, and, so, like, he does everything imaginable every single day," Shanahan said. "Last year, he couldn't, because he was battling injury all last year. And this year, he is healthy, so he is right back to being who he has always been, and it's really fun to watch."

McCaffrey, who turned 29 earlier this month, said the key as he ages is finding the "middle ground" of doing the intense work to get ready for a season and making sure he doesn't wear down early.

But, once he's on the field, he knows only one speed.

"My job is to put my body in the best position it can be to go out there and be me," he said. "There's a lot of noise, and, sometimes, there's a lot of things going on. My job is to go 100 percent every play and continue to get better. I just try to focus on that."

Agencies via Xinhua