If this rings true — even with the second-place finish predicted by Breneman — you can go ahead and pencil Ohio State into the College Football Playoff again. However, buyer beware because, as we know, predictions like these are rarely correct, and there will be a slew of surprises and disappointments coming this fall.
That was the case Wednesday as Phase Three of theย 49ers offseason program concluded, McCaffrey had one final departing message for the young players as the team began a 40-day break before the start of training camp.
While some players use the 40-day hiatus to catch a flight to a beach in Mexico or fulfill their boysโ trip vacation, McCaffrey, seconding 49ers coach Kyle Shanahanโs words, reminded the team that itโs 40 daysย awayย โ not 40 daysย off.
Veteran tight end George Kittle, appearing Friday morning onย ESPNโs โThe Pat McAfee Show,โย revealed some of McCaffreyโs advice during a casual yet passionate speech during a team meeting.
โThat was one of the things he said. He was like, โHey, I like how Coach Shanahan said itโs 40 days away, not 40 days off.โ Because it is,โ Kittle said. โIโd say thereโs one thing from his meeting Iโd be comfortable sharing. Christian likes to say you have to be selfish with your time as NFL football players if you want to be great.Whether thatโs, hey, Iโm not going to do this family vacation, Iโm not going to do this boysโ trip with these guys. Iโm going to spend these 40 days training my butt off to be in the best shape possible so when I get back, I can earn a spot and I can help this team win a lot of fotal games.
โThat was one of my favorite things he said. He said it a couple times, but just emphasizing that to the young guys. This isnโt your 40 days of, โOh, I get to go on vacation.โ You can go golf a little bit and that kind of stuff, but this isnโt 40 days off. Go train, show up, earn a spot and help us win football games.โ
McCaffreyโs work ethicย is no secret, and itโs whatโs made him one of the NFLโs best running backs and offensive weapons.
Just last week, Shanahan referred to the 2023 NFL Offensive Player of the Year as a โpsychoโ but โin a good way.โ His dedication and commitment to the grind are unmatched.The 49ers will adjust to a lot of new faces around the facility with the loss of key players and new additions via trades, free agency and the 2025 NFL Draft. While it doesnโt take guys long to take notice of the 49ersโ culture, leaders such as McCaffrey and Kittle help maintain that standard.
And thereโs no doubt that McCaffrey and the rest of the 49ers are even more motivated and hungry after a disappointing 2024 season.The phone calls to sources around the league painted a pretty black-and-white recap of his NFL career to this point: Ridiculous athlete, elite runner, needs to develop the mental aspects of playing quarterback.
Itโs very difficult to assess a quarterbackโs read progression in these practices, but one thing I wasnโt prepared for with Fields was how talented he is at throwing the football. The thing flies out of his hands, but itโs not always fastballs. He understands how to throw a catchable pass โ an underrated attribute for quarterbacks. The 40-yard, drop-in-the-bucket throw to Garrett Wilson was gorgeous. The touch pass in the corner toย Josh Reynoldsย from the two-yard line might have been even better. You understand why the Jets wanted to take a chance on Fields.
The Jets held two real practices in minicamp. The third was a walkthrough, team stretch, the individual drills featuring receivers/tight ends/running backs throwing passes to the quarterbacks and linemen. Weโll ignore that day. Fields went 12 of 21 with a touchdown on Tuesday and Wednesday.
There arenโt accuracy issues with Fields, per se. He can make every throw and put them on the money. Thatโs not always the case. Zach Wilson, for example, used to make players work to catch passes during routes on air drills. But when Fields misses โฆ he really misses. Several of those incompletions sailed way over his guyโs head, or way out wide. Consistency is something to monitor as the Jets transition to camp.
