​Christian McCaffrey’s receiving efficiency out of the backfield stood out twice on Pro Football Focus’ list of the NFL’s most productive quarterback–running back combinations in 2025, appearing with both Mac Jones and Brock Purdy. Among all qualifying running backs with at least 18 targets, McCaffrey is the only one in the top 10 to pair with two different quarterbacks. That distinction isn’t shocking given that many other names on the list played the entire season with a single quarterback. McCaffrey finished the year as one of the league’s top receiving backs, totaling 102 receptions for 924 yards and seven touchdowns.
The Jones–McCaffrey pairing ranked third overall in EPA per play at 0.46, while the Purdy–McCaffrey duo was sixth at 0.38 EPA per play. With Jones, McCaffrey caught 54 of 60 targets for 527 yards and three touchdowns, and 404 of those yards came after the catch. This volume reflects a stretch when Jones served as San Francisco’s starter while Purdy recovered from injury, demonstrating that McCaffrey remained a dangerous receiving threat regardless of who threw him the ball and underscoring Jones’s crucial role in Kyle Shanahan’s offense.
The Purdy connection, though slightly lower in per-play efficiency, produced more scoring impact. Purdy targeted McCaffrey 69 times, completing 58 for 453 yards and five touchdowns. Having a back who can produce at such a high level as a receiver, regardless of quarterback, reinforces how central McCaffrey has become to the 49ers’ passing attack. His reliability as a pass-catcher gives San Francisco a stability at the position that few teams can match, even when the ground game isn’t clicking. McCaffrey averaged just 3.9 rushing yards per attempt in 2025, the lowest single-season mark of his career since his rookie year in 2017, underscoring that his value to the team isn’t limited to what he does on the ground.
Looking ahead to 2026, the hope for McCaffrey and the 49ers is that Purdy won’t need to lean on his running back as heavily. San Francisco added weapons this offseason—Mike Evans, Christian Kirk, and De’Zhaun Stribling—to complement McCaffery, while Ricky Pearsall provides another target along with tight ends George Kittle and Jake Tonges. Even so, the 49ers understand they’ll continue to benefit from a back who can reliably catch passes and produce as a receiver, often more than many other teams can claim at that position. This dynamic gives San Francisco a rare level of offensive versatility and predictability in the passing game, regardless of who is under center.
This overview reflects insights originally published on Niners Wire, highlighting that one San Francisco star wasn’t notably affected by quarterback injury issues last season.