49ers RB Christian McCaffrey Is Close to Setting an NFL Record

It would’ve been impossible to imagine San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey being on the verge of a different kind of greatness this time last year.

A calf injury, then Achilles tendonitis, and finally a PCL sprain reduced his 2024 season to just four games. It was a brutal stretch of setbacks, but he’s managed an impressive recovery.

With six games left in the NFL regular season, McCaffrey is closing in on a feat no one has ever achieved before.

Christian McCaffrey on track to post two 1000 receiving and rushing yard campaigns

Despite constant injury-related changes on both sides of the ball, McCaffrey is one of the few key players who has appeared in all 11 regular-season games so far.

For this season, McCaffrey has posted 707 rushing yards and 732 receiving yards. Those numbers put him on track to become the only player to record 1,000 rushing and 1,000 receiving yards in a season twice.

McCaffrey is one of only three players to have completed this feat, having done so with the Carolina Panthers in 2019. The other two are Roger Craig (1985) and Marshall Faulk (1999). That means he could become the first player ever to accomplish it twice and the second 49ers player to achieve the milestone for the franchise.

What McCaffrey has done differently this year

The 49ers have relied heavily on McCaffrey. He leads the NFL with 193 carries but is averaging just 3.7 yards per carry, matching his lowest since his rookie season. Despite this, he remains explosive, though less so than before his 2024 injuries, and it’s taking him longer to navigate through defenses.

The last two games against the Los Angeles Rams and Arizona Cardinals show he’s not at his prime. In Los Angeles, he averaged just 2.5 yards per carry, gaining 35 yards on 12 carries. But in Arizona, against weaker opposition, he averaged 6.2 yards per carry, totaling 81 yards on 12 carries.

With injuries affecting the offense, he’s taken on a larger role as a receiving option this season and has been crucial to the 49ers’ 7-4 record. His total yardage ranks ninth in the league, 27 spots ahead of the next-highest running back.

The stats suggest McCaffrey should be the favorite for Comeback Player of the Year. If he reaches 1,000 yards in both rushing and receiving this season, he could also be a strong contender for Offensive Player of the Year for a second time.

Christian McCaffrey on track to post two 1000 receiving and rushing yard campaigns

What McCaffrey has done differently this year

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