SUPER BOWL LVIII
Why does Christian McCaffrey wear no. 23 for the 49ers?
The San Francisco 49ers running back may be a Michael Jordan fan, although that’s not the main reason for his jersey number.
Originally drafted into NFL by the Carolina Panthers in 2017, Christian McCaffrey missed their most recent Super Bowl appearance, a defeat to Denver Broncos in Santa Clara in February 2016, by a little over year but will play his first ever championship game when his San Francisco 49ers take on the Kansas City Chiefs at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas on Sunday (11 February). And the running back will do so wearing the no. 23 jersey, perhaps the most iconic in American sporting history.
Beckham chose 23 in honor of NBA star Jordan
McCaffrey isn’t the first and might not be the last sportsperson to choose to wear 23 on their back, although his reasons are likely to be different to most others. David Beckham, now the owner of MLS team Inter Miami, is perhaps most high-profile athlete to have requested the no.23 when moved from Manchester United to Real Madrid, where Raúl González, an iconic figure at the LaLiga giants, was wearing “his” number 7.
Ever the marketing opportunist, Beckham opted for 23 in honour the legendary Michael Jordan, who claimed to have always been a fan of, and someone he “loved as a player and a person.” Jordan, described as the “greatest basketball player of all time,” on the NBA website, wore the number with such distinction throughout his career that the Chicago Bulls, who is he most associated with, and even Miami Heat, who he never turned out for, have retired it.
The reason McCaffrey wears no. 23
While McCaffrey is not alone in picking 23, he did so for an entirely different reason, which is a simple, mathematical one. After wearing 22 during his time with the Panthers, he changed up a number after his 2022 move to the 49ers as 2 + 3 = 5, which was his regular number when he played college football at Stamford. Quarterback Trey Lance had no. 5 when McCaffrey was traded to San Francisco but has since moved to the Dallas Cowboys, with defensive end Randy Gregory taking his jersey.
McCaffrey’s performances as an athletic running back have played a crucial role in the Niners’ run to Super Bowl LVIII and he will be hoping Jordan’s 23 inspires him when he comes up against Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce and Co on Sunday.