As the NFL gets older, more and more Father-Son duos exist in the sport. Most recently, we’ve had the Sanders family take over football media in Colorado. But outside of them, there are so many multi-generation NFL families nowadays. One of the 49ers’ most popular examples of this is Christian McCaffrey and his father, Ed McCaffrey.
Earlier in May, Ed joined DJ Siddiqi of Bet Ideas and showed his support for his son with his praise.
“He’s the best receiving running back out of the backfield that’s ever played the game — that’s just a fact. I think those types of backs, based on the way the passing game has evolved in the NFL, are the type of backs that are going to be highly regarded moving forward.”
The NFL has seen some elite pass-catching running backs, so calling Christian the “best” ever is a bold claim. Still, it’s a take that can be supported.
Comparing McCaffrey to the Greats
CMC has been one of the best running backs in the NFL since being drafted by the Panthers in 2017. The two-time 1st team All-Pro has accumulated 4,466 receiving yards and 29 touchdowns through the air in his 95 career games with the Panthers and 49ers. He ranks 16th all-time in receiving yards and is tied for 6th in receiving touchdowns. Only looking at his total career numbers, the case for him being the best receiver out of the backfield ever seems far-fetched. However, McCaffrey has played significantly fewer games than everyone above him on the list. This is partially due to injuries, but also because he still has a lot of football left to play.
So, to get an actual breakdown of how good he is on a per-game basis, I’m going to compare him to the all-time receiving back leader, Hall-of-Famer Marshall Faulk. In 176 career games, Faulk put up 6,875 receiving yards and caught 36 touchdowns. His per-game averages were 39 yards with .20 touchdowns. On the other hand, CMC’s averages sit at 47 yards and .31 touchdowns per game. McCaffrey may never pass Faulk’s career receiving yards, but he will likely be the all-time receiving touchdown leader among running backs when he retires. Pair that with better numbers on a game basis, and the argument has some merit.
Christian McCaffrey’s Skillset
CMC’s father went on to talk specifics about the star running back’s game later on in the interview.
“When we say receiver, there’s a difference between catching check-downs or catching the wide routes or swing routes – running the running back route tree – and lining up in the slot, and going man-to-man versus a safety or a linebacker, running a stutter comeback outside the numbers.”
Christian McCaffrey’s Future
Analyzing football is difficult because the numbers don’t tell the full truth. CMC is the best receiving back the NFL has ever seen. The tough part is whether or not his career numbers will show that once he calls it quits. For now, the most important thing for CMC to do is to stay on the field. If McCaffrey can do that, he will shatter Marshall Faulk’s 36 career receiving touchdowns, and maybe even give him a run for his money for receiving yards.
Stay healthy CMC, that’s the number one priority!
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