San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey recently got engaged to model Olivia Culpo. Even though he probably knew her answer, popping the question is one of the more nerve-racking things a guy can do.
"Definitely nervous," McCaffrey told reporters on Monday, his first time speaking to the media since the 49ers opened their offseason program last week. "It's a different kind of nervous, but yeah, I was definitely nervous. And yeah, she said, 'Yeah.' Tricked her into saying 'Yeah,' so that was good. And now I'm fired up about it."
While the happy couple plans their journey into a prosperous union, McCaffrey was also asked about a couple of NFL reunions. The first being with quarterback Sam Darnold, who signed a one-year deal to likely serve in a backup role. Of course, there is a chance he could be the Week 1 starter should Brock Purdy not be ready for the start of the 2023 season.
Purdy underwent surgery on March 10 to repair a ligament tear in his right arm. His recovery could extend into September, with head coach Kyle Shanahan recently stating that the 49ers might have to prepare to be without their second-year quarterback for multiple games.
Darnold will compete with another former No. 3 overall pick, Trey Lance, to be that potential Week 1 starter.
McCaffrey and Darnold were teammates with the Carolina Panthers. What did the running back tell the quarterback about the Niners?
"I told him it's fun," McCaffrey said. "[We've] got a lot of weapons and an unbelievable mind calling plays. He already knew all that stuff, though. He had watched all the tape, and he was a fan from afar, so he was fired up to get here."
McCaffrey offered insight into what kind of quarterback the 49ers are getting in Darnold, a sixth-year player with 55 starts under his belt.
"Sam's great," McCaffrey shared. "He can do everything. He can make any throw. He's smart. He's able to pick up things quickly and do his job. Doesn't play beyond anything and just does exactly what he's told all the time and then adds a lot of flair to it, too.
"I got the privilege to play with Sam. Not enough, unfortunately. I had some injuries. But he's another guy, too, who's just a gamer, and he's tough as hell. He's played through a lot and never made excuses. So happy he's here."
Darnold hasn't seen a lot of success, winning only 21 of his 55 starts. Of course, the 25-year-old quarterback has never been on a roster as talented as San Francisco's. What can McCaffrey share about Darnold that the average fan might now know?
"I don't know what people don't or do know about him, but I'd say his toughness, to me, is something that I don't think gets a lot of credit for," McCaffrey said. "But just knowing kind of the stuff that he went through in New York and then in Carolina, and to be able to just keep his head down and continue to work as hard as he did, showed a lot of perseverance, determination, toughness, all that."
The second reunion is with Carolina's former defensive assistant coach, who was named the Panthers' interim head coach last season, Steve Wilks. McCaffrey played on offense, mainly dealing with the coaches who managed that side of the football. The Panthers traded the running back to the 49ers ten days after Wilks was named the interim head coach.
"Coach Wilks is awesome," McCaffrey told reporters. "I think I could talk about Coach Wilks a lot and just the type of man he is, but it says a lot to see how all the Panthers players reacted to him and them vouching for him to get the head job. That's a testament to who he is, and that explains a lot about not just the coach he is but the guy he is. So, happy he's on our side."
