San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey is clearly one of the most unique talents in the NFL with his ability to be an elite rusher and receiver.
He just joined very rare company with his reception touchdown against the New Orleans Saints.
Near the end of the first half of Sunday's contest against New Orleans, McCaffrey hauled in a pass from quarterback Mac Jones to extend San Francisco's lead. In the process, he became the third player in NFL history to reach 50 career rushing touchdowns and 30 career receiving touchdowns.
Christian McCaffrey's the truth 📈@49ers | #FTTB pic.twitter.com/Zlp74O9VkR
— NFL+ (@NFLPlus) September 14, 2025
It is an impressive feat, and the only other players to accomplish that are Marshall Faulk and Lenny Moore. Both of those players are in the Hall of Fame, so it would not be a huge shock if McCaffrey ended up there someday, so long as he stays somewhat healthy for the rest of his career.
Of course, staying healthy is always an issue with McCaffrey. He was questionable coming into the team's Week 1 matchup with the Seattle Seahawks, but he played and performed well, as he had 69 rushing yards along with 73 receiving yards.
The threat that McCaffrey poses both out of the backfield and as a receiver makes him a nightmare for opposing defenses to deal with. The fact that McCaffrey was out for basically all of last season makes it understandable that the Niners had a rough season and were 6-11 on the year.
He is just impossible to replace in an offense and brings so much to the table. Even if the ball is not in his hands, opposing defenses have to account for him, which can create opportunities for other playmakers on the field. In short, he makes everyone on the field better simply by dint of being out there, and of course, when he gets the ball in his hands, he is absolutely explosive.
49ers fans know how good McCaffrey is, but it is nice to put things into context now and then with the truly special things he has done in his career.