The Calvary has arrived for the San Francisco 49ers.
Christian McCaffrey is finally set to make his season debut.
Dealing with Achilles and calf injuries that have kept him on the sideline all season, the All-Pro running back is set to see action against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for the first time all year.
It couldn’t come at a better time, as the 49ers have scuffled to a 4-4 record through the halfway point of the season, not quite looking like their dominant selves of seasons past.
Insert McCaffrey.
CMC is the straw that stirs the drink.
According to one teammate in particular, everything is about to change for San Francisco.
In an exclusive interview with talkSPORT’s Will Gavin, 49ers fullback Kyle Juszczyk, shared what McCaffrey’s return will mean to the offense.
“It’s incredible,” Juszczyk said. “Christian’s one of my best friends, so on the personal side, it’s just great to have him out there, but as an offense, it’s just such a game changer.
“The guy can, he can literally do everything. He’s the most well-rounded running back I’ve ever been around, and that just adds so much to this offense.
“He’s going to go out there and he’s going to do great things, but it’s also going to open up things for everybody else.
“I think that’s where you could see a larger impact, how much he’s gonna open up for the other players like George, like Debo, myself, Jauan.
“Having Christian out there just helps so much.”
Not only is McCaffrey’s return on the field going to raise the entire ceiling of this team, but it’s what his return will bring to the locker room that is going to give this team an added boost.
When asked about how much his presence has lifted the vibes around the team, Juszczyk said it’s been huge.
“So much and like I talked earlier about how yesterday’s practice really felt like it was almost a new season and there was this special palpable energy and I think a lot of that had to do with Christian.”
The energy around San Fransisco has shifted.
Juszczyk even shared a message that the usual stoic McCaffrey gave to the team ahead of his return.
“He broke down the team after we warmed up, and he even said he’s like, ‘I’m not a big talker but you guys don’t understand how much this means to me to be out there on the field and how much you miss it when it’s taken from you, just take advantage of those opportunities.’
“And I think that hit home with everybody.”
Head coach Kyle Shanahan better hope that McCaffrey’s message hit home with his players, as there isn’t much room for error.
Sitting at .500 and the current ninth seed in the NFC playoff picture, the 49’ers can’t afford many more losses.
Lucky for them, the Calvary has arrived, and McCaffrey is ready to take San Francisco on a late season run.
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