Who Should I Start? Christian McCaffrey or Kendre Miller

Saturday, June 29, 1:07 PM

No NFL running back played a higher percentage of his team's offensive snaps last year than San Francisco 49ers RB Christian McCaffrey. Elijah Mitchell, their top backup, missed six games in another injury-riddled season, and McCaffrey was simply too good to take off the field. CMC led the league with 1,459 rushing yards -- 292 more than the next best RB. His 21 TDs tied for the league lead and he also added 564 receiving yards, which ranked fourth on the 49ers. His 339 total touches were the second-most of his career. McCaffrey's efforts earned him Offensive Player of the Year honors and a two-year extension. The Niners would love a repeat performance in 2024, but perhaps with less wear and tear. A healthy Mitchell would help them accomplish that. "We have to protect Christian from himself. He doesn't like to ever come out no matter what the situation is and I do think that's something we could protect him with more," head coach Kyle Shanahan said.

Wednesday, July 24, 2:32 PM

New Orleans Saints running back Kendre Miller (hamstring) left Wednesday's practice with a hamstring injury. Miller strained his hamstring last year during the preseason to start off what was an injury-ruined rookie year. He should be considered day-to-day until more is known, but the Saints could certainly opt to take a cautious approach here. The 22-year-old TCU product was a third-round pick in last year's NFL draft, but he was held to eight just appearances, and he'd be missing out on valuable reps if this turns out to be a significant setback. Jamaal Williams would have a clearer path to No. 2 duties behind starter Alvin Kamara for any time Miller is absent from training camp, with gadget player Taysom Hill likely getting more involved in New Orleans' backfield.