How Christian McCaffrey can make NFL history in the 49ers’ final two games

Christian McCaffrey has arguably been the NFL’s standout running back when fit in recent years with the San Francisco 49ers. The highlight of the 29-year-old’s time in the Bay Area, which began in 2022, remains his NFL Offensive Player of the Year award in 2023. But McCaffrey has been in stellar form once again this season and could make league history depending on his performances in Weeks 17 and 18.

How Christian McCaffrey could make NFL history

Through Week 16, McCaffrey has totaled 1,039 rushing yards and 849 receiving yards. That leaves him 151 receiving yards shy of a 1,000/1,000-yard season.

The Colorado native has averaged 56.6 receiving yards per game in 2025, meaning he will need to significantly raise that output over the final two weeks. Still, an average of 75.5 receiving yards per game is not unthinkable for a player who is central to almost everything San Francisco does offensively.

If McCaffrey reaches or surpasses the 151-yard mark, he would become the first player in NFL history with multiple 1,000 rushing-yard and 1,000 receiving-yard seasons. He previously achieved the rare feat with the Carolina Panthers in 2019, when he finished with 1,387 rushing yards and 1,005 receiving yards.

San Francisco’s tough schedule

What could work against him is San Francisco’s difficult closing schedule. In Week 17, the 49ers host the Chicago Bears (11-4), before welcoming the Seattle Seahawks (12-3) to Levi’s Stadium in the regular-season finale.

The three teams, with San Francisco also sitting at 11-4, have already clinched playoff spots but remain locked in a fierce race for the NFC’s No. 1 seed. That means Kyle Shanahan is unlikely to have the luxury of resting key players, McCaffrey included, ahead of the postseason.

49ers’ Super Bowl drought

While McCaffrey’s individual milestone would be historic, the 49ers’ ultimate focus remains a Super Bowl title. San Francisco last lifted the Lombardi Trophy in 1994. Since then, they have fallen short in three Super Bowl appearances, losing in 2012, 2019 and 2023.

If McCaffrey does reach 1,000/1,000 again, it would be another remarkable chapter in an already elite season. But in Santa Clara, individual history will always come second to ending that three-decade wait.

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