Christian McCaffrey has emerged as the heart and soul of the San Francisco 49ers offense, which is stacked with brilliant players. This impressive lineup also includes San Francisco’s offensive centerpiece, Brock Purdy. Despite the NFL community’s split views on the star QB’s stature in the league, Christian’s father, Ed McCaffrey, shares a high opinion of him.
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In a recent appearance on a podcast ‘RG3 and The Ones‘ with ESPN analyst Robert Griffin III, three-time Super Bowl champion and Christian’s father, Ed McCaffrey, spoke highly of Purdy. He emphasized Purdy’s potential as a franchise quarterback and predicted that the star QB would be at the helm for a very long time.
“He’s going to be playing for the 49ers for a long, long time,” Ed McCaffrey said. “Some players are better NFL players than college players because they have that skill set that lends itself to the NFL game.”
Ed then praised Purdy’s “ability to process, anticipate, and react” while facing the opponents. He also explicitly praised his intelligence while drawing attention to his mobility skills.
Ed McCaffrey on whether Brock Purdy is a franchise QB,
“Oh absolutely. Yea he’s gonna be playing for the 49ers for a long long time… Some players are better NFL players than college players because they have that skill set that lends itself to the NFL Game.”#49ers pic.twitter.com/y1cqAe1XEL
— Robert Griffin III (@RGIII) June 14, 2024
The 49ers QB has certainly made a significant impact since joining the team. Despite starting the 2023 season as an unproven quarterback, he finished the regular season as a finalist for the regular-season Most Valuable Player Award. While many may feel differently, Purdy has made quite the mark, including a 72.8 adjusted QBR, ranking first among qualified players.
Meanwhile, his running back teammate, Christian, has also been an important part of the 49ers’ offense and has left quite the mark in his short run for the Super Bowl runners-up. So much so that he secured the Offensive Player of the Year nod in 2023 and was featured on the Madden 25 cover.
Ed McCaffrey Praises Christian for Madden 25 Cover
The 49ers running back recently achieved a huge milestone by becoming the cover athlete for Madden 25, succeeding the Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen. The honor is seen as a significant achievement in the football community, which his father passionately spoke about during the interview with RG III.
“It’s incredible because I know it’s a dream of his,” Ed said. “John Madden was a Legend and his video game is legendary.”
Reflecting on his son’s journey, Ed recalled the countless hours Christian and his brothers spent playing Madden in their basement. “I’ve got broken controllers and a hole in the wall to prove it,” the proud father quipped.
Addressing the infamous “Madden Curse,” Elder McCaffrey dismissed the superstition with optimism. “I hope it’s the Patrick Mahomes curse,” he joked, referencing Mahomes’ Super Bowl 54 win in 2020, a year after he graced the cover of the video game.
Christian’s cover appearance is noteworthy for several reasons. He is the first running back to grace the cover since Barry Sanders in 2014 and the first active running back since Peyton Hillis in 2012. He is also the first 49ers player to ever feature on the cover.
Now that the San Francisco 49ers are making more noise than before, the impending season will be a treat to watch. Meanwhile, the return of the 49ers’ 2023 roster and the leadership of Brock Purdy will draw more attention than before, with higher hopes in 2024.
