Christian McCaffrey's wife Olivia Culpo sends words of encouragement as 49ers RB embarks on long rehab
Fresh off a trip to the Super Bowl, the hope was that the San Francisco 49ers would spend the summer figuring out how to get over the final hurdle and ultimately lift the Lombardi Trophy. Despite retaining the core that drove them to the Super Bowl, injuries to key personnel like Christian McCaffrey and Brandon Aiyuk meant that the Niners couldn't put a competitive product on the field.
Their hopes for a productive end to the season were handed another blow after McCaffrey suffered another injury setback. During the Sunday Night Football showdown against the Buffalo Bills, the All-Pro running back sustained a posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) injury, ending his stop-start 2024 season.
In a post on Instagram, McCaffrey penned a few words detailing his frustrations at how the game of football had humbled him but that he was optimistic he would come back stronger in 2025.
In reply to his post, McCaffrey's wife Olivia Culpo wrote:
"I love you so much. So proud of you always."
Christian McCaffrey gives insight into state of mind after PCL injury
49ers fans were initially in a state of panic after McCaffrey posted a black-and-white picture of himself, one that athletes usually reserve for retirement announcements.
Instead, McCaffrey announced he was determined to tackle rehab the right way.
"Football is the greatest game on the planet to me. 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 life and that’s football," McCaffrey wrote on Instagram.
He added that this wasn't his year but he would not resort to feeling sorry for himself. Instead, the All-Pro RB added that he was grateful for the support from the NFL world and that he would "work smarter and harder than ever to come back better from this."
With McCaffrey out injured along with his backup Jordan Mason, the Niners will now turn to Isaac Guerendo to lead the backfield. They also signed former Jets RB Israel Abanikanda to the roster as insurance.