Christian Jackson McCaffrey (born June 7, 1996) is an American professional
football
Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...
running back
A running back (RB) is a member of the offensive backfield in gridiron football. The primary roles of a running back are to receive American football plays#Offensive terminology, handoffs from the quarterback to Rush (American football)#Offense ...
for the
San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers (also written as the San Francisco Forty-Niners and nicknamed the Niners) are a professional American football team based in the San Francisco Bay Area. The 49ers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member ...
of the
National Football League
The National Football League (NFL) is a Professional gridiron football, professional American football league in the United States. Composed of 32 teams, it is divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National ...
(NFL). He played
college football
College football is gridiron football that is played by teams of amateur Student athlete, student-athletes at universities and colleges. It was through collegiate competition that gridiron football American football in the United States, firs ...
for the
Stanford Cardinal
The Stanford Cardinal are the college athletics in the United States, athletic teams that represent Stanford University. Stanford's program has won 138 National Collegiate Athletic Association, NCAA team championships, the List of NCAA schools ...
and was selected by the
Carolina Panthers
The Carolina Panthers are a professional American football team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Panthers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC South, South division. The t ...
eighth overall in the
2017 NFL draft. As a sophomore in 2015, McCaffrey was named
AP College Football Player of the Year and was a finalist for the
Heisman Trophy
The Heisman Memorial Trophy ( ; also known simply as the Heisman) is awarded annually since 1935 to the top player in college football. It is considered the most prestigious award in the sport and is presented by the Heisman Trophy Trust followin ...
. He holds the
NCAA
The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates College athletics in the United States, student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, and Simon Fraser University, 1 in Canada. ...
record for most all-purpose yards in a season (3,864).
McCaffrey holds numerous NFL and Panthers franchise records and is one of three players ever to record 1,000 rushing and 1,000 receiving yards in the same season, doing so in 2019. McCaffrey was traded to the 49ers in 2022 and was named the 2023
Offensive Player of the Year after leading the league in
scrimmage yards and touchdowns en route to an
NFC Championship and an appearance in
Super Bowl LVIII
Super Bowl LVIII was an American football game played to determine the champion of the National Football League (NFL) for the 2023 NFL season, 2023 season. A rematch of Super Bowl LIV four years prior, the American Football Conference (AFC) 20 ...
. A member of the McCaffrey football family, he is the son of
Ed and brother of
Max
Max or MAX may refer to:
Animals
* Max (American dog) (1983–2013), at one time purported to be the world's oldest living dog
* Max (British dog), the first pet dog to win the PDSA Order of Merit (animal equivalent of the OBE)
* Max (gorilla) ...
,
Dylan, and
Luke.
Early life
McCaffrey was born in
Castle Rock, Colorado, on June 7, 1996, the son of former Stanford and NFL wide receiver
Ed McCaffrey and former Stanford soccer player Lisa McCaffrey. He attended
Regis Jesuit High School in
Aurora, Colorado
Aurora (, ) is a List of municipalities in Colorado#Home rule municipality, home rule city located in Arapahoe County, Colorado, Arapahoe, Adams County, Colorado, Adams, and Douglas County, Colorado, Douglas List of counties in Colorado, counti ...
for his freshman year and then
Valor Christian High School in
Highlands Ranch, Colorado
Highlands Ranch is an unincorporated community and a census-designated place (CDP) located in and governed by Douglas County, Colorado, United States. The CDP is a part of the Denver–Aurora–Lakewood, CO Metropolitan Statistical Area. The p ...
under coach
Brent Vieselmeyer for the rest of his high school career. He played
running back
A running back (RB) is a member of the offensive backfield in gridiron football. The primary roles of a running back are to receive American football plays#Offensive terminology, handoffs from the quarterback to Rush (American football)#Offense ...
,
wide receiver
A wide receiver (WR), also referred to as a wideout, and historically known as a split end (SE) or flanker (FL), is an eligible receiver in gridiron football. A key skill position of the offense (American football), offense, WR gets its name ...
,
cornerback
A cornerback (CB) is a member of the defensive backfield or secondary in gridiron football. Cornerbacks cover Wide receiver, receivers most of the time, but also blitz and defend against such Play from scrimmage, offensive running plays as sweep ...
, and
punter. He broke numerous Colorado high school records including career total
touchdowns
A touchdown (abbreviated as TD) is a scoring play in gridiron football. Scoring a touchdown grants the team that scored it 6 points. Whether running, passing, returning a kickoff or punt, or recovering a turnover, a team scores a touchd ...
(141), career all purpose yards (8,845), career touchdown receptions (47), and single season all-purpose yards (3,032). He was the
Gatorade Football Player of the Year for Colorado in both 2012 and 2013. He also played
basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appro ...
.
McCaffrey was also a standout sprinter on the
track and field
Track and field (or athletics in British English) is a sport that includes Competition#Sports, athletic contests based on running, jumping, and throwing skills. The name used in North America is derived from where the sport takes place, a ru ...
team. As a sophomore, he placed second in the
100-meter dash at the Mountain Vista Boulder Invitational with a wind-assisted (+6.2 m/s) career-best time of 10.75 seconds. As a junior in 2013, he finished sixth in the 100-meter dash (10.89s) and ninth in the
200-meter dash (22.17s) at the
CHSAA State Meet.
Considered one of the best one hundred football players in his national high school class, he was selected as a 2014
U.S. Army All-American. He was rated by
Rivals.com as a four-star recruit and was ranked as the third best all-purpose back in his class and 77th best player overall. He committed to
Stanford University
Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University, is a Private university, private research university in Stanford, California, United States. It was founded in 1885 by railroad magnate Leland Stanford (the eighth ...
to play
college football
College football is gridiron football that is played by teams of amateur Student athlete, student-athletes at universities and colleges. It was through collegiate competition that gridiron football American football in the United States, firs ...
.
College career
Freshman year
McCaffrey played in all 13 games as a
true freshman for the
Cardinal
Cardinal or The Cardinal most commonly refers to
* Cardinalidae, a family of North and South American birds
**''Cardinalis'', genus of three species in the family Cardinalidae
***Northern cardinal, ''Cardinalis cardinalis'', the common cardinal of ...
in 2014. He shared the backfield with Remound Wright,
Barry J. Sanders, and Kelsey Young. In his collegiate debut, he had a 52-yard receiving touchdown against
UC Davis
The University of California, Davis (UC Davis, UCD, or Davis) is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Davis, California, United States. It is the northernmost of the ten campuses of the University ...
. He finished the year with 300 rushing yards on 43 carries and 251 receiving yards on 17 receptions with two total touchdowns.
Sophomore year
McCaffrey had a breakout sophomore season in 2015. He surpassed
Barry Sanders'
NCAA
The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates College athletics in the United States, student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, and Simon Fraser University, 1 in Canada. ...
record of 3,250 all-purpose yards, finishing with 3,864. McCaffrey ranked second in the nation with 2,019 rushing yards, becoming the first Stanford player to rush for 2,000 in a season. He also set numerous other Stanford records during the season including rushing yards in a single game (243) and all-purpose yards in a game (461).
McCaffrey was a consensus
All-American
The All-America designation is an annual honor bestowed on outstanding athletes in the United States who are considered to be among the best athletes in their respective sport. Individuals receiving this distinction are typically added to an Al ...
and was the
Associated Press College Football Player of the Year
The AP College Football Player of the Year award has been awarded annually since 1998 to the most outstanding collegiate football player in the country. The winner is chosen by a vote of Associated Press (AP) sportswriters and editors. Since 2004, ...
,
Pac-12 Player of the Year, and
Paul Hornung Award winner. He also finished second to
Alabama
Alabama ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Deep South, Deep Southern regions of the United States. It borders Tennessee to the north, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gu ...
's
Derrick Henry in the 2015
Heisman Trophy
The Heisman Memorial Trophy ( ; also known simply as the Heisman) is awarded annually since 1935 to the top player in college football. It is considered the most prestigious award in the sport and is presented by the Heisman Trophy Trust followin ...
voting.
He set the school record for all purpose yards in a single game in the
Pac-12 Championship against USC with 461 total yards.
During the
2016 Rose Bowl against
Iowa
Iowa ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the upper Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders the Mississippi River to the east and the Missouri River and Big Sioux River to the west; Wisconsin to the northeast, Ill ...
, McCaffrey became the first player to rush for over 100 yards (172) and have over 100 yards receiving (109) in a Rose Bowl game. Overall, he set a new Rose Bowl record with 368
all-purpose yards, breaking the previous record set in 2012 by
Wisconsin
Wisconsin ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest of the United States. It borders Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michig ...
's
Jared Abbrederis.
Junior year
Through the end of the 2016 regular season, McCaffrey led the nation in all purpose yards (211.6 yards per game). He led the
Pac-12 Conference
The Pac-12 Conference is a collegiate List of NCAA conferences, athletic conference in the Western United States. It participates at the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) NCAA Division I, Division I level for all sports, and its Co ...
in rushing yards (1,603) and ranked fourth in the nation in rushing yards per game (145.7). After being injured during the Cardinal's 42–16 loss to
Washington State
Washington, officially the State of Washington, is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is often referred to as Washington State to distinguish it from the national capital, both named after George Washington ...
on October 8, McCaffrey sat out for the team's 17–10 victory in the
2016 edition of the Notre Dame-Stanford rivalry the following week. McCaffrey set a Stanford single-game rushing record with 284 rushing yards against
California
California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...
. McCaffrey was named to the
2016 All-Pac-12 first-team and was named the
CoSIDA Academic All-American of the Year. After the season, he decided to forgo his senior year and enter the
2017 NFL draft.
On December 19, McCaffrey announced he would not participate in the team's
Sun Bowl
The Sun Bowl is a college football bowl game that has been played since 1935 in the southwestern United States at El Paso, Texas. Along with the Sugar Bowl and Orange Bowl, it is the second-oldest bowl game in the country, behind the Rose Bowl. ...
game against
North Carolina
North Carolina ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, South Carolina to the south, Georgia (U.S. stat ...
, opting to skip the game to prepare for the
NFL draft
The NFL draft, officially known as the Annual Player Selection Meeting, is an annual event which serves as the most common source of player recruitment in the National Football League. Each team is given a position in the drafting order in reve ...
. His decision was met with mixed reactions; supporters agreed it was a smart decision, while those opposing considered the move selfish, and potentially detrimental to college football should other players follow suit.
Radio host
Mike Greenberg
Michael Darrow Greenberg (born August 6, 1967) is an American television anchor, television show host, radio show host for ESPN and ABC, and novelist. At ESPN, he hosted the weekday evening, most often Monday, ''SportsCenter'' and previously ES ...
, in defense of McCaffrey, said, "Calling Christian McCaffrey a quitter for skipping an exhibition game to prepare for his career is the height of just not getting it."
By 2018, NFL draft prospects sitting out bowls had become much more common and caused little controversy among fans.
College statistics
Professional career
Pre-draft
McCaffrey received an invitation to the
NFL Combine
The NFL Scouting Combine is a week-long showcase occurring every February at Lucas Oil Stadium (and formerly at the RCA Dome until 2008) in Indianapolis, where college football players perform physical and mental tests in front of National Foot ...
as one of the top running back prospects entering the draft and completed all of the required combine drills and participated in positional drills. He attended Stanford's
Pro Day
The NFL draft, officially known as the Annual Player Selection Meeting, is an annual event which serves as the most common source of player recruitment in the National Football League. Each team is given a position in the drafting order in reve ...
, but was satisfied with his combine numbers and only ran positional drills for the NFL scouts and representatives. McCaffrey was projected to be a first round pick by the majority of NFL experts and analysts. He was ranked the third best running back in the draft by ''
Sports Illustrated
''Sports Illustrated'' (''SI'') is an American sports magazine first published in August 1954. Founded by Stuart Scheftel, it was the first magazine with a circulation of over one million to win the National Magazine Award for General Excellen ...
'', the fourth best running back by
Pro Football Focus, and ranked the second best by NFLDraftScout.com and
ESPN
ESPN (an initialism of their original name, which was the Entertainment and Sports Programming Network) is an American international basic cable sports channel owned by the Walt Disney Company (80% and operational control) and Hearst Commu ...
.
Carolina Panthers
2017 season
The
Carolina Panthers
The Carolina Panthers are a professional American football team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Panthers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC South, South division. The t ...
selected McCaffrey in the first round with the eighth overall pick in the 2017 NFL draft. He was the second running back taken, after fourth overall pick
Leonard Fournette.
On May 4, 2017, the Carolina Panthers signed McCaffrey to a four-year, $17.2 million contract with a signing bonus of $10.7 million.
McCaffrey made his NFL season debut in the Panthers' season-opener against the
San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers (also written as the San Francisco Forty-Niners and nicknamed the Niners) are a professional American football team based in the San Francisco Bay Area. The 49ers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member ...
and recorded 47 rushing yards, 38 receiving yards, and a lost fumble in a 23–3 victory. In Week 3, against the
New Orleans Saints
The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans. The Saints compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC South, South division. Since 1975, the team ...
, he had nine receptions for 101 yards. In Week 5 against the
Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit. The Lions compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. The team plays their home game ...
, McCaffrey scored his first career touchdown on a six-yard
shovel pass from quarterback
Cam Newton
Cameron Jerrell Newton (born May 11, 1989) is an American former professional American football, football player who was a quarterback in the National Football League (NFL) for 11 seasons, primarily with the Carolina Panthers. He is the NFL le ...
. In Week 9, against the
Atlanta Falcons
The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta. The Falcons compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC South, South division. The Falcons were founded o ...
, he scored his first career rushing touchdown on a four-yard rush in the second quarter. In the team's ''
Monday Night Football
''Monday Night Football'' (often abbreviated as ''MNF'') is the branding used for broadcasts of National Football League (NFL) games that air on Monday nights. It originally ran on American Broadcasting Company, ABC from 1970 NFL season, 1970 t ...
'' win over the
Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins are a professional American football team based in the Miami metropolitan area. The Dolphins compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East division. The team ...
, McCaffrey scored twice–one rushing and one receiving–and totaled 50 yards. In Week 15, in a victory over the
Green Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers are a professional American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Packers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. They ar ...
, McCaffrey brought his season total to 73 catches and five receiving touchdowns, being the only rookie running back in NFL history with at least 70 receptions and five touchdown catches before being joined by
Alvin Kamara later in the season. The following week, against the
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers (colloquially known as the Bucs) are a professional American football team based in Tampa, Florida. The Buccaneers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC S ...
, McCaffrey brought his catch total to 75, breaking the Panthers rookie record of 74 set by
Kelvin Benjamin. He finished his rookie season with 435 rushing yards, two rushing touchdowns, 80 receptions, 651 receiving yards, and five receiving touchdowns. The Panthers made the playoffs as the #5-seed. In the
Wild Card Round against the New Orleans Saints, he had 16 rushing yards, six receptions, 101 receiving yards, and one receiving touchdown in the 31–26 loss.
2018 season
In Week 2, against the Falcons, McCaffrey had 14 receptions for 102 receiving yards to go along with 37 rushing yards in the 31–24 loss. In Week 3, against the
Cincinnati Bengals
The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional American football team based in Cincinnati. The Bengals compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. The team plays its h ...
, he had 28 carries for a career-high 184 rushing yards in the 31–21 victory. Though limited in yardage for much of the middle of the season, from Weeks 8–10 McCaffrey compiled seven touchdowns in three games (joining
DeAngelo Williams in 2008 as the only other Panther with this distinction), including all of Carolina's scores in a 52–21 loss to the
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional American football team based in Pittsburgh. The Steelers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. Founded in 1933 P ...
. On November 25, 2018, McCaffrey became the first Panther ever to have over 100 yards rushing and receiving in the same game. He had 125 yards rushing and 112 yards receiving in a loss to the
Seattle Seahawks
The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle. The Seahawks compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC West, West division. The club entered the NFL a ...
. The 237 yards set a Panthers franchise record for most yards from scrimmage in a game. He also was the first player since
Arian Foster in 2011 to have 100+ yards and a touchdown both rushing and receiving, and the only player with 10+ receptions in such a game. During Week 15, in a ''Monday Night Football'' showdown against the 11–2 Saints, McCaffrey threw a 50-yard touchdown pass on 4th and 2 to
Chris Manhertz. With 50 rushing, 50 receiving and 50 passing yards, he joined
Walter Payton
Walter Jerry Payton (July 25, 1953Although most sources at the time of his death gave Payton's birth year as 1954, reliable sources subsequently state he was born in 1953. – November 1, 1999) was an American professional American football, ...
and
Gale Sayers as the only others to achieve this. During Week 16 against the Atlanta Falcons, McCaffrey broke
Matt Forte's record for most receptions by a running back in a single season, finishing with 101 rushing yards and 77 receiving yards as the Panthers lost 10–24. Since the Panthers were eliminated from the playoffs, he had a limited role in the Week 17 victory over the New Orleans Saints with 40 total yards. Overall, he finished the 2018 season with 1,098 rushing yards, seven rushing touchdowns, 107 receptions, 867 receiving yards, and six receiving touchdowns. McCaffrey had the opposite of a
sophomore slump
A sophomore slump (also known as a sophomore jinx or sophomore jitters) is when a sophomore fails to live up to the relatively high standards that occurred during freshman year.
It is commonly used to refer to the apathy of students (second year ...
, as he became the Panthers franchise record holder of all-purpose yards in a season with 1,965. McCaffrey also broke the NFL record for the highest catch percentage in a single season by a player with at least 100 receptions, catching 86.3% of his
targets
''Targets'' is a 1968 American crime thriller film directed by Peter Bogdanovich in his theatrical directorial debut, and starring Tim O'Kelly, Boris Karloff, Nancy Hsueh, Bogdanovich, James Brown, Arthur Peterson and Sandy Baron. The film ...
; the former record holder was
Larry Centers, who caught 84.9% of his passes while playing for the
1995 Arizona Cardinals.
Michael Thomas Michael or Mike Thomas may refer to:
Entertainment
* Michael M. Thomas (1936–2021), American novelist of financial thrillers
* Michael Tilson Thomas (born 1944), American conductor, pianist, and composer
* Michael Thomas (actor) (1952–2019), B ...
also broke Centers' record in 2018, catching 85.0% of his targets while playing for the
New Orleans Saints
The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans. The Saints compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC South, South division. Since 1975, the team ...
.
McCaffrey was ranked 42nd by his fellow players on the
NFL Top 100 Players of 2019.
2019 season
In Week 1 against the
Los Angeles Rams
The Los Angeles Rams are a professional American football team based in the Greater Los Angeles, Greater Los Angeles area. The Rams compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC West, West ...
, McCaffrey rushed 19 times for 128 yards and two touchdowns and caught 10 passes for 81 yards as the Panthers lost 27–30. He played every offensive snap and became the first player to post 10 or more receptions and 120 or more rushing yards in two career games. After losing All-Pro quarterback
Cam Newton
Cameron Jerrell Newton (born May 11, 1989) is an American former professional American football, football player who was a quarterback in the National Football League (NFL) for 11 seasons, primarily with the Carolina Panthers. He is the NFL le ...
in Week 2, the Panthers beat the
Arizona Cardinals
The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in the Phoenix metropolitan area. The Cardinals compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC West, West division. The ...
38–20 in Week 3, where McCaffrey rushed 24 times for 153 yards with a career long 76-yard touchdown and caught three passes for 35 yards. In Week 4 against the
Houston Texans
The Houston Texans are a professional American football team based in Houston. The Texans compete in the National Football League as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC South, South division. The team plays its home games at N ...
, McCaffrey rushed 27 times for 93 yards and one touchdown and caught 10 passes for 86 yards in the 16–10 win. In the game, McCaffrey generated 179 yards of offense while the rest of his team only generated 118 yards of offense. During Week 5 against the
Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jacksonville Jaguars are a professional American football team based in Jacksonville, Florida. The Jaguars compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC South, South division. The team ...
, McCaffrey bested his career long rushing touchdown set in Week 3 with an 84-yard touchdown run. This also set a Panthers record for longest touchdown run. He finished with 176 rushing yards and 2 rushing touchdowns along with 61 receiving yards and 1 receiving touchdown, bringing it to 237 total yards as the Panthers won 34–27. In Week 6 against the Buccaneers, McCaffrey rushed 22 times for 31 yards and one touchdown and caught four passes for 26 yards and one touchdown in the 37–26 win.
During Week 9 against the
Tennessee Titans
The Tennessee Titans are a professional American football team based in Nashville, Tennessee. The Titans compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC South, South division. They play the ...
, McCaffrey finished with 146 rushing yards, 20 receiving yards, and 3 total touchdowns as the Panthers won 30–20. That performance helped him maintain the league lead in rushing yards and rushing touchdowns over the
Minnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis. The Vikings compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. Founded in 1960 as ...
'
Dalvin Cook he held from Week 6 to the midpoint of the season (through 8 games). McCaffrey continued his touchdown streak in Week 10 against the Packers on the road, carrying the ball 20 times for 108 yards on the ground and one score, while hauling in six catches for 33 yards. He also fumbled for the first time this season, and was stopped just short of the goal line in a failed comeback late in the fourth quarter in the 16–24 loss. During a Week 11 29–3 loss to the Falcons, McCaffrey finished with 121 receiving yards and 70 rushing yards; his 191 yards from scrimmage was again more than the rest of team's combined 156. He recorded his 53rd reception, breaking
LaDainian Tomlinson
LaDainian Tarshane Tomlinson (born June 23, 1979), nicknamed "LT", is an American former professional football running back who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 11 seasons. After a successful college football career with the T ...
's record for the most catches by a running back in an NFL player's first three seasons.
In Week 12, against the Saints, he totaled 133 scrimmage yards (64 rushing, 69 receiving), a rushing touchdown, and a receiving touchdown. In Week 15 against the Seahawks, McCaffrey rushed 19 times for 87 yards and two touchdowns and caught eight passes for 88 yards during the 30–24 loss. In Week 16 against the
Indianapolis Colts
The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. The Colts compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC South, South division. Since the 2008 India ...
, McCaffrey rushed 13 times for 54 yards and caught 15 passes for 119 yards during the 38–6 loss. In Week 17 against the New Orleans Saints, McCaffrey rushed nine times for 26 yards and a touchdown and caught seven passes for 72 yards in the 42–10 loss. During the game, McCaffrey joined
Roger Craig and
Marshall Faulk
Marshall William Faulk (born February 26, 1973) is an American former professional American football, football running back who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 12 seasons and is the current running backs coach at the Colorado ...
as the only players to have 1,000 yards rushing and receiving in the same season.
McCaffrey finished the 2019 season with 1,387 rushing yards and 15 rushing touchdowns to go along with 116 receptions for 1,005 receiving yards and four receiving touchdowns. This performance led to McCaffrey being selected for his first Pro Bowl, played on January 26, 2020. He earned First-team All-Pro honors. McCaffrey finished third in Offensive Player of the Year voting. He accounted for 43% of his team's offensive yards during the season, the largest percentage of any individual player in the NFL. He was ranked sixth by his fellow players on the
NFL Top 100 Players of 2020.
2020 season
On April 16, 2020, McCaffrey signed a four-year, $64 million contract extension with the Panthers through the 2025 season, making him the highest-paid running back in NFL history.
In Week 1, McCaffrey carried the ball 23 times for 96 yards and two rushing touchdowns and caught three of four targets for 38 receiving yards in a 34–30 home loss to the
Las Vegas Raiders
The Las Vegas Raiders are a professional American football team based in the Las Vegas Valley, Las Vegas metropolitan area. The Raiders compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC West ...
. In Week 2 against the Buccaneers, he totaled 88 scrimmage yards and two rushing touchdowns in the 31–17 loss. When McCaffrey rushed for his second touchdown early in the fourth quarter, he suffered a high ankle sprain and missed the rest of the game. He was placed on
injured reserve
The injured reserve list ( IR list) is a designation used in North American professional sports leagues for athletes who suffer injuries and become unable to play. The exact name of the list varies by league; it is known as "injured reserve" in ...
on September 23. He was activated on November 7 prior to Week 9. In Week 9 against the
Kansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Chiefs compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) West division.
Established in 1959 ...
, McCaffrey recorded 69 rushing yards and a rushing touchdown and 82 receiving yards and a receiving touchdown during the 33–31 loss. During the game, McCaffrey suffered a shoulder injury and was later ruled out of the Panthers' following game and later the remainder of the season. He was ranked 44th by his fellow players on the
NFL Top 100 Players of 2021.
2021 season
McCaffrey started the 2021 season with 177 scrimmage yards in Week 1 against the
New York Jets
The New York Jets are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Jets compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East division. The team p ...
and 137 scrimmage yards in Week 2 against the Saints. In Week 3, McCaffrey suffered a hamstring injury that kept him out the next two games. Despite returning to practice prior to Week 6, he was placed on injured reserve on October 16. He was activated on November 6 for Week 9. He went over 100 scrimmage yards in the following three games. On November 29, the Panthers announced that McCaffrey would miss the remainder of the season with an ankle injury he suffered during the Panthers Week 12 loss to the Dolphins. He finished the 2021 season with 442 rushing yards, 343 receiving yards, and two total touchdowns in seven games.
2022 season
In the season opener against the
Cleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns are a professional American football team based in Cleveland. The Browns compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. The team is named after ...
, McCaffrey had 14 carries for 57 yards and one touchdown in a 24–26 defeat. Through the first six games with the Panthers, McCaffrey had 393 rushing yards, 277 receiving yards, three total touchdowns, and 670 scrimmage yards.
San Francisco 49ers
2022 season
McCaffrey was traded to the 49ers on October 20, 2022, in exchange for a second, third, and fourth-round pick in the
2023 NFL draft
The 2023 NFL draft was the 88th annual meeting of National Football League (NFL) franchises to select newly eligible players for the 2023 NFL season, 2023 season. The NFL draft, draft was held outside of Kansas City Union Station, Union Station i ...
, and a fifth-round pick in the
2024 draft.
McCaffrey made his 49ers debut in Week 7 against the Chiefs, where he had 38 rushing yards and 24 receiving yards in the 44–23 loss. In Week 8 against the Rams, McCaffrey became the first 49ers running back to record
passing, rushing, and receiving touchdowns in the same game. McCaffrey was the fourth player since the
1970 AFL–NFL merger to complete the trifecta. He was named
National Football Conference
The National Football Conference (NFC) is a conference of the National Football League (NFL), the highest level of professional American football in the United States. The NFC and its counterpart, the American Football Conference (AFC), each h ...
(NFC) Offensive Player of the Week for Week 8. In Week 13, against the Dolphins, he had 146 scrimmage yards and a receiving touchdown in the 33–17 victory. In the following game against the Buccaneers, he had 153 scrimmage yards, one rushing touchdown, and one receiving touchdown in the 35–7 victory. In the next game, against the Seahawks, he had 138 scrimmage yards and a rushing touchdown in the 21–13 victory. In Week 17, against the Raiders, he had 193 scrimmage yards and a rushing touchdown in the 37–34 victory. He finished the 2022 season with 244 carries for 1,139 rushing yards and eight rushing touchdowns to go along with 85 receptions for 741 receiving yards and five receiving touchdowns. He was named to the Pro Bowl.
McCaffrey was productive in the postseason for the 49ers. In the
Wild Card Round against the Seattle Seahawks, he had 15 carries for 119 rushing yards to go with a receiving touchdown in the 41–23 victory. He had a rushing touchdown in the 19–12 victory over the
Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football team based in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. The Cowboys compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. T ...
in the
Divisional Round. In the
NFC Championship, he had 106 scrimmage yards and a rushing touchdown in the 31–7 loss to the
Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia. The Eagles compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. The team plays its ...
. The 49ers' quarterback room in the game was so depleted to injury that McCaffrey had to line up as the emergency quarterback. He was ranked 35th by his fellow players on the
NFL Top 100 Players of 2023.
2023 season
During Week 1 against the
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional American football team based in Pittsburgh. The Steelers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. Founded in 1933 P ...
, McCaffrey had 22 carries for 152 yards and a touchdown, as well as three receptions for 17 yards. His most notable play was a 65-yard rushing touchdown, which was assisted by the 49ers' run blocking and open field blocks by
Ray-Ray McCloud and
Brandon Aiyuk. For his performance in the game, he was made the FedEx Ground Player of the Week. In Week 3 against the
New York Giants
The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Giants compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. The ...
, McCaffrey had 18 carries for 85 yards and a touchdown, and five receptions for 34 yards. Against the
Arizona Cardinals
The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in the Phoenix metropolitan area. The Cardinals compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC West, West division. The ...
in Week 4, McCaffrey had 20 carries for 106 yards and three touchdowns, and seven receptions for 71 yards and a touchdown. With his first touchdown in the game, and his 13th straight game with a touchdown, McCaffrey broke
Jerry Rice's franchise record for most consecutive games with a touchdown.
He was named both FedEx Ground Player of the Week (for a fourth straight time), and NFC Offensive Player of the Week.
In Week 8, against the
Cincinnati Bengals
The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional American football team based in Cincinnati. The Bengals compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. The team plays its h ...
, McCaffrey had 12 rushes for 54 yards and one touchdown, as well as six receptions for 64 yards and a touchdown in the 31–17 loss. With a 2-yard rushing score, McCaffrey tied
Lenny Moore
Leonard Edward Moore (born November 25, 1933) is an American former professional American football, football player who was a Halfback (American football), halfback and wide receiver, flanker for the Baltimore Colts of the National Football Leag ...
's NFL record for the most games in a row with a touchdown score recorded, having had 17 straight games with a touchdown. However, the streak would be broken during their Week 10 matchup against the
Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jacksonville Jaguars are a professional American football team based in Jacksonville, Florida. The Jaguars compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC South, South division. The team ...
, in which he recorded 16 carries for 95 yards, and six receptions for 47 yards. During Week 12 against the
Seattle Seahawks
The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle. The Seahawks compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC West, West division. The club entered the NFL a ...
, McCaffrey recorded 19 carries for 114 yards and two touchdowns, as well as five receptions for 25 yards. For the performance, he was again named FedEx Ground Player of the Week. Against the Seahawks in Week 14, McCaffrey recorded 16 carries for 145 yards and was named FedEx Ground Player of the Week for the fifth time this season. Against the Cardinals in Week 15, he recorded 18 carries for 115 yards and a touchdown, as well as five receptions for 72 yards and two touchdowns.
Against the
Washington Commanders
The Washington Commanders are a professional American football team based in the Washington metropolitan area. The Commanders compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) East division ...
, McCaffrey recorded 14 carries for 64 yards, as well as four receptions for 27 yards. During the second half of the game, he would be taken out with a mild calf strain. Despite it being minor, he would still be designated as one of the starters to sit out for the season finale against the Rams. McCaffrey finished his first full season with the 49ers leading the league in rushing yards (1,459), touches (339), yards from scrimmage (2,023), and touchdowns (21). His 1,459 rushing yards were a career-best, along with his yards per rushing attempt (5.4) and receiving touchdowns (7). McCaffrey won his first
Offensive Player of the Year award and finished third in
NFL MVP voting, behind quarterbacks
Dak Prescott and
Lamar Jackson.
In the 49ers' playoff game against the
Green Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers are a professional American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Packers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. They ar ...
in the
Divisional Round, McCaffrey had 17 carries for 98 yards and two touchdowns, as well as seven receptions for 30 yards. McCaffrey scored the game-winning touchdown on a 6-yard run in the 24–21 victory. In the
2024 NFC Championship Game game against the
Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit. The Lions compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. The team plays their home game ...
, McCaffrey finished with 20 carries for 90 yards and two touchdowns, as well as 4 receptions for 42 yards as the 49ers would come back from a 24–7 deficit at halftime to win 34–31 en route to
Super Bowl LVIII
Super Bowl LVIII was an American football game played to determine the champion of the National Football League (NFL) for the 2023 NFL season, 2023 season. A rematch of Super Bowl LIV four years prior, the American Football Conference (AFC) 20 ...
. Against the
Kansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Chiefs compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) West division.
Established in 1959 ...
in the Super Bowl, McCaffrey rushed 22 times for 80 yards while catching all eight of his targets for 80 yards and a touchdown. He became the first player in Super Bowl history to have at least 75 rushing yards and 75 receiving yards in the same game. He also lost a fumble in the first quarter as the 49ers lost 25–22 in overtime. He was ranked third by his fellow players on the
NFL Top 100 Players of 2024.
2024 season
On June 4, 2024, McCaffrey signed a two-year extension worth $38 million through the 2027 season. McCaffrey remained the highest-paid running back and reset the record with this new $38 million deal. During training camp, McCaffrey dealt with a calf and Achilles injury which caused him to miss the preseason games and kept him out of the 49ers' season-opening game against the Jets, despite initial optimism that he would play. After head coach
Kyle Shanahan stated that McCaffrey had his worst day in terms of pain during practice leading up to Week 2, the 49ers placed him on injured reserve. While on IR, McCaffrey visited an Achilles specialist in Germany for his
Achilles tendonitis. Following their bye week, the 49ers opened McCaffrey's 21-day practice window on November 4. He was activated on November 9 and made his season debut in Week 10 against the
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers (colloquially known as the Bucs) are a professional American football team based in Tampa, Florida. The Buccaneers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC S ...
.
On December 1, in his fourth game of the season against the
Buffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills are a professional American football team based in the Buffalo–Niagara Falls metropolitan area. The Bills compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East div ...
, McCaffrey left the game in the first half with a
posterior cruciate ligament injury to his right knee and did not return. Following the game, Shanahan stated the injury has an expected six-week recovery period and that he would be placed on IR, ending his regular season. McCaffrey finished the 2024 season with 348 scrimmage yards and zero touchdowns in four games, compared to over 2,000 yards and 21 touchdowns the previous season.
NFL statistics and awards
Regular season
Postseason
NFL records
*Most receptions by a running back in a single season (116)
*Only running back to have two seasons with 100 or more receptions
*First player in NFL history to record over 1,000 rushing yards and 500 receiving yards in the first 10 games of a season
*Only the third player in NFL history to record over 1,000 yards rushing and 1,000 yards receiving in a single season, joining
Marshall Faulk
Marshall William Faulk (born February 26, 1973) is an American former professional American football, football running back who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 12 seasons and is the current running backs coach at the Colorado ...
and
Roger Craig.
*First rookie running back in NFL history with 70 receptions and five receiving touchdowns
*First player in NFL history with 50 rushing and 50 receiving yards in five consecutive games
*Most receptions by a running back in first 3 seasons with 303 receptions
*Only the second running back in NFL history with 2000+ receiving yards in his first 42 games (shared with
Herschel Walker
Herschel Junior Walker (born March 3, 1962) is an American former professional football running back who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 12 seasons. He was also the Republican nominee in the 2022 United States Senate election ...
)
*Only the second player in NFL history with at least 20 rushing TDs and at least 15 receiving TDs through their first three seasons
*Third most scrimmage yards in a single season in NFL history (2,392)
Panthers records
* Single-season records for most receptions by any player (116)
* Single-season records for most scrimmage yards by any player (2,392)
* First player in Panthers history to reach 2,000 yards from scrimmage in a season
* Most scrimmage yards by any player in first two seasons (3,051)
* Most scrimmage yards by any player in first three seasons (5,443)
* Single-season records for most receiving yards by a running back (1,005)
[
* Single-season records for most receiving touchdowns by a running back (6)
* Single-season records for most receiving first downs by a running back (41)
* Longest rush by a running back in franchise history (84 yards)
* Franchise record for receiving yards by a running back in a single game with 121 receiving yards on 11 catches
]
49ers records
* Most consecutive games with a touchdown (17)
* Most rushing touchdowns in a season (14) (2023)
Personal life
McCaffrey's father, Ed McCaffrey, played college football at Stanford and in the NFL, mostly for the Denver Broncos
The Denver Broncos are a professional American football team based in Denver. The Broncos compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC West, West division. The team is headquartered in E ...
, from 1991 to 2003. His mother, Lisa Sime, played soccer at Stanford. His older brother Max
Max or MAX may refer to:
Animals
* Max (American dog) (1983–2013), at one time purported to be the world's oldest living dog
* Max (British dog), the first pet dog to win the PDSA Order of Merit (animal equivalent of the OBE)
* Max (gorilla) ...
played football at Duke University
Duke University is a Private university, private research university in Durham, North Carolina, United States. Founded by Methodists and Quakers in the present-day city of Trinity, North Carolina, Trinity in 1838, the school moved to Durham in 1 ...
, and then on several NFL teams as a wide receiver. His younger brother, Dylan, was a quarterback at Northern Colorado. His youngest brother, Luke, is a wide receiver for the Washington Commanders
The Washington Commanders are a professional American football team based in the Washington metropolitan area. The Commanders compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) East division ...
. His uncle, Billy McCaffrey, played college basketball at Duke and Vanderbilt University
Vanderbilt University (informally Vandy or VU) is a private university, private research university in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. Founded in 1873, it was named in honor of shipping and railroad magnate Cornelius Vanderbilt, who provide ...
. His maternal grandfather Dave Sime
David William Sime (; July 25, 1936 – January 12, 2016) was an American sprinter, multi-sport athlete at Duke University, and a pioneering ophthalmologist. He won a silver medal in the 100-meter dash (photo finish) at the 1960 Olympic ...
(1936–2016) was a pioneering ophthalmologist
Ophthalmology (, ) is the branch of medicine that deals with the diagnosis, treatment, and surgery of eye diseases and disorders.
An ophthalmologist is a physician who undergoes subspecialty training in medical and surgical eye care. Following a ...
and an Olympic sprinter, the silver medalist (photo finish
A photo finish occurs in a sporting race when multiple competitors cross the finishing line at nearly the same time. As the naked eye may not be able to determine which of the competitors crossed the line first, a photo or video taken at the fini ...
) in the 100 meters in 1960.
McCaffrey is Catholic
The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...
. He has said, "My faith is very important to me and that's why I'm praying all the time. When you have a bunch of people chanting your name, it's important that you give the honor and glory back to the person, God, that's allowing me to do this." McCaffrey is a lifelong fan of Bruce Lee
Bruce Lee (born Lee Jun-fan; November 27, 1940 – July 20, 1973) was an American-born Hong Kong martial artist, actor, filmmaker, and philosopher. He was the founder of Jeet Kune Do, a hybrid martial arts philosophy which was formed from ...
, having been introduced to Lee's films by his father and crediting Lee's philosophy with helping him mentally throughout his career.
McCaffrey has been in a relationship with Miss Universe 2012
Miss Universe 2012 was the 61st Miss Universe pageant, held at the PH Live at Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada, United States on December 19, 2012.
The contest was won by Olivia Culpo of the United States, who was crow ...
Olivia Culpo
Olivia Frances Culpo (born May 8, 1992) is an American model, actress, and media personality. Culpo has won Miss Rhode Island USA, Miss USA 2012, and Miss Universe 2012.
Early life and education
Olivia Frances Culpo was born on May 8, 1992, ...
since 2019. They announced their engagement on April 7, 2023. The two were married on June 29, 2024, in Watch Hill, Rhode Island. On March 10, 2025, McCaffrey and Culpo announced that they are expecting their first child.
In 2018, McCaffrey appeared on a commercial for the NFL, along with Jay Ajayi, Todd Gurley, and DeAndre Hopkins.
In June 2024, McCaffrey was revealed as the cover athlete for '' Madden NFL 25'', becoming the second 49er along with previous front cover player Garrison Hearst in Madden NFL 99 in the PAL
Phase Alternating Line (PAL) is a color encoding system for analog television. It was one of three major analogue colour television standards, the others being NTSC and SECAM. In most countries it was broadcast at 625 lines, 50 fields (25 ...
version to grace the cover.
Notes and references
External links
*
*
San Francisco 49ers bio
Stanford Cardinal bio
{{DEFAULTSORT:McCaffrey, Christian
1996 births
All-American college football players
American football running backs
Carolina Panthers players
Living people
McCaffrey family
National Conference Pro Bowl players
NFL Offensive Player of the Year winners
People from Castle Rock, Colorado
Players of American football from Denver
Players of American football from Douglas County, Colorado
San Francisco 49ers players
Sigma Alpha Epsilon members
Stanford Cardinal football players
Catholics from Colorado
Valor Christian High School alumni