(Photo: Forbes)
When Christian McCaffrey was in college, I remember people saying they never watched much of him or any of his games because the Stanford Cardinal played too late, and to me, that’s the worst excuse you could make. He was one of the more exciting players to watch in the country during his Stanford days. Before entering the NFL Draft, of course, there were doubters and I even remember seeing so-called “experts” say he should convert into a slot receiver because he didn’t have the “capabilities of being a three-down back at the next level”. I’d love to speak to those people now and see what they have to say at this point about him. Today, Christian signed a two-year extension to remain with the San Francisco 49ers worth $38 million which has now reset the market for Running Backs.
He is the best Running Back in the league and at this moment, it’s not even close. He’s truly in a bracket all by himself. I see how much he loves this game and how focused he is when he’s on the field. When the 49ers acquired him from the Carolina Panthers during the 2022 season, he made such a smooth transition to another team during the season, and oftentimes, it takes some players a while to get acclimated to their new surroundings. However, for Christian, that didn’t seem to be the case at all from the minute he made his debut with the 49ers as he fit in perfectly and never looked back. What makes him so great is the vision along with the balance he displays to remain up on his feet. Christian is that home run threat meaning anytime the football is in his hands, he’s a threat to gather more yards or even score a touchdown. The most dangerous part of his game is the speed he has, especially with the football in his hands. To be successful as a Running Back, you must trust your blockers up front and he has all the faith in the world in the guys in front of him to open up a lane, then he bursts through and makes a play. What about the versatility factor? He impacts the game not only as a runner but as a receiver out of the backfield and by the time you look at the stats, He could have over 100 yards rushing and between 75-80 yards receiving. His peers around the league, myself included have referred to him as the Swiss army knife meaning he can do anything on the field. As a runner,
Christian can run in between the tackles and bounce outside and as a pass catcher, he’s become another safety valve for Brock Purdy. He can also create those mismatches all over the field with a Safety or Linebacker. I don’t think there’s anything he can’t do on the field.
This is well deserved for one of the best in the league. In 2023, he was everything to this 49ers offense. You hear and read so many comparisons to who he reminds them of. I’ve been on record saying he’s the closest thing I’ve seen to a Hall of Famer in LaDainian Tomlinson. Just as LT did, Christian can impact the game in multiple ways and has tricks up his sleeves to attack a defense as he can also throw the ball as well. I think the LaDainian comparison is accurate. He was named Offensive Player of the Year for his stellar season in 2023.
