Why Christian McCaffreys 49ers extension was crucial to Kyle Shanahan NBC Sports Bay Area & California [Video]

SANTA CLARA — The 49ers took no chances in securing Christian McCaffrey for the long haul, even as Brandon Aiyuk’s future with the team remains uncertain.

San Francisco signed the 2023 NFL Offensive Player of the Year to a two-year, $38 million contract extension during the offseason, making McCaffrey the NFL’s highest-paid running back at $19 million per season.

Head coach Kyle Shanahan stressed the need to make sure McCaffrey was a piece of the 49ers going forward.

“Very important,” Shanahan said on Tuesday. “It’s always tough with all of this stuff. To be able to get Christian here with what he’s been able to do the last couple years, and what we plan on him doing for the next few years, we were really excited to get that done and felt great about it.”

McCaffrey rushed for league-high 1,459 yards in 2023 while also being a reliable target for quarterback Brock Purdy with 67 receptions for 564 yards. The All-Pro led the …