Former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Steve Young had the privilege of sharing the football field with exceptional running backs like Roger Craig, Ricky Watters, and Garrison Hearst. Yet, his admiration for current running back Christian McCaffrey knows no bounds.
"He's the back for 2023," Young declared Wednesday on KNBR's "Tolbert and Copes" show. "Where you're going to come from all directions ... you might line up in the I [formation] as a one-off just to kind of do something fun, but that's not the job anymore. ... The 49ers are running all kinds of cool stuff, and Christian is the guy that can do it all from all positions.
"[WR] Deebo [Samuel] was that guy, coming from receiver, to do it. He proved he could be great at it. So you've got all this potential, but Christian is somebody that [has] Jerry Rice-like preparation, intensity, detail, nothing goes by him."
McCaffrey had to get up to speed quickly following his trade from the Carolina Panthers. Within 48 hours of arriving in Santa Clara, he was suited up to play against the Kansas City Chiefs.
There were several late nights spent studying his new playbook. Quarterback Brock Purdy, then a backup, aided him in extra on-field reps after practices. Now, with a full offseason under his belt, McCaffrey is more at ease with the 49ers offense, and Young is confident the running back knows the playbook inside and out.
"Let's say Brock suddenly had amnesia, and someone else had to call the plays—'Christian, call the play,'" Young said. "Like, 'Give the motion. Everyone, you got your job? Guards out. You got it? You got it? Tight ends? You got it? [TE] George [Kittle], you get it? That's the kind of guy you got with Christian."
Young contends that McCaffrey has mastered all of the 49ers' offensive intricacies, not just those related to playing his position. He knows what everyone on the offensive side of the ball needs to do in each situation.
Young added, "That's when a team gets really good, when everybody gets what we're trying to accomplish as a group."
You can listen to the entire conversation with Young below.