Christian McCaffrey anchors a 49ers backfield that now includes Brian Robinson Jr. and Isaac Guerendo, with Jordan James in the mix as depth. The goal is to keep CMC fresh for 16-17 games by rotating him, especially early in the year when health signals are positive. With Deebo Samuel out, San Francisco may lean into Robinson’s power between the tackles and Guerendo’s speed, plus James’ versatility in planned packages.

Projected splits target McCaffrey around the mid-60s in snaps, Robinson roughly 25%, Guerendo about 10%, with James fighting for touches. Shanahan’s philosophy remains: avoid running CMC into the ground while maintaining explosiveness. If all stay healthy, all three backs should see meaningful snaps and not merely be emergency options.