There might be something a little bit different about this San Francisco 49ers team than in years past.
In this decade alone, the Niners have already played in two Super Bowls, and with their 6-1 record, they are in the conversation to be in yet another one.
Christian McCaffrey does not like “comparing teams,” but the organization has had a similar nucleus in the front office, on the sidelines, and on the field.
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Christian McCaffrey of the San Francisco 49ers celebrates after his receiving touchdown against the Philadelphia Eagles during the fourth quarter in the NFC Wild Card Playoff game at Lincoln Financial Field on Jan. 11, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pa. (Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)
“I love the maturity of this team. Everyone talks about our age and how we’re old, but I think that’s such a massive advantage,” McCaffrey told OutKick in a recent interview. “You’ve had guys who have been at the top of the top in this league and experienced the hardships, so you’ve seen everything. Emotionally, you’re not too amped when you win a game, and you’re not too down when something bad happens. There’s a level of professionalism in the locker room where we all know what we have to do.”
Of course, that maturity helps in dealing with pressure and negativity as well.
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“We just don’t care what people say. We’re here to win no matter what the situation is. From a noise perspective, we just don’t listen to it,” he added. “This offseason, we were old and decrepit, and nobody thought we could win. Now, everybody’s crowning us. If you buy stock in listening to the media, you have to ride the highs and lows with them. We choose not to invest and just keep focusing on playing good football.”
McCaffrey is still at the top of his game at age 30 and in his 10th NFL season, and it would not be possible without a health and wellness routine. But for the most part, he keeps it simple.
“Less is more. Getting outside, moving and having a healthy lifestyle. There’s not a one-trick-pony hack. There is no hack. There’s not a specific thing that’s going to get you to where you want to be. It’s consistency over time. That’s with training, recovery, nutrition, sleep, your environment, the people you’re around and how many stressors you allow in your life,” McCaffrey said.
But of course, there’s always some additional help behind the scenes, and that’s where Dymatize Nutrition, of which McCaffrey is a brand partner, and its ISO100 protein come in.
Christian McCaffrey is a brand partner with Dymatize. (Dymatize)
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“Nutrition plays such a key role in your recovery, how you feel and your training. Everything I put in my body, I’m conscious of. I want to put stuff in my body that’s going to help me recover better, not get as sore and allow me to have better days after hard workouts,” McCaffrey said.
“I tested the product and absolutely loved it. Getting on a routine with the ISO100 and the different protein options they have has helped me in my training, recover quicker and continue to make strides even later in my career.”
In order to bring back a long-awaited Lombardi Trophy back to the Bay Area, though, McCaffrey wants to “keep the main thing the main thing.” And as cliché as it is, it truly is simply staying in routine day by day.
San Francisco RB Christian McCaffrey celebrates with WR Deebo Samuel Sr. after scoring a fourth-quarter touchdown against the Denver Broncos at Levi’s Stadium. (Getty Images)
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“Everybody wants to win the Super Bowl, but you don’t stay focused by sitting around thinking about winning the Super Bowl,” he said. “You do that by waking up every day, having structure, having a routine and getting whatever needs to be done. If you have a collection of guys who do that, chances are you’re going to give yourself a chance.”
