Christian McCaffrey, at the premature end of a season that started late, too, waxed philosophical in a social media post on Wednesday.
The San Francisco 49ers running back, three days after tearing the posterior cruciate ligament in his right knee in the snow at Buffalo, wrote on Instagram, “This wasn’t my year, and sometimes when it rains, it pours.”
The reigning NFL Offensive Player of the Year landed on injured reserve on Tuesday, ending his regular season after just four games. He missed the 49ers’ first eight contests due to an Achilles/calf injury.
“Football is the greatest game on the planet to me,” McCaffrey posted on Instagram. “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 (sic) 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.”
He added, “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.”
McCaffrey finishes the season with 50 carries for 202 yards plus 15 receptions for 146 yards. He had no touchdowns.
A year ago, McCaffrey led the NFL with 2,203 yards from scrimmage, 21 touchdowns from scrimmage, and 1,459 rushing yards.
The two-time All-Pro has 6,387 career rushing yards on 1,347 carries (4.7 per attempt) and 52 touchdowns on the ground. He also has 524 catches for 4,466 yards and 29 scores.
The 49ers (5-7) bring a three-game losing streak into their Sunday home game against the Chicago Bears.
–Field Level Media