Reports of San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey's decline appear to have been premature. On Sunday night at Levi's Stadium, McCaffrey silenced any doubters with a performance that reminded the NFL why he remains one of the league's most dynamic players. His effort powered the 49ers to a 20-10 win over the Atlanta Falcons.
McCaffrey carried the ball 24 times for a season-high 129 rushing yards and two touchdowns, while adding seven receptions for 72 yards. That gave him 201 total yards from scrimmage, marking his fourth career 200-yard game and first since 2019.
He also became the first 49ers player to record 200 scrimmage yards and two rushing touchdowns in a game since Frank Gore in 2009.
Elite company with Marshall Faulk
McCaffrey has been the definition of a dual-threat weapon all season. With 465 rushing yards and 516 receiving yards through seven games, he joined Hall of Famer Marshall Faulk (2000) as the only players in NFL history to record 450+ rushing and 450+ receiving yards through the first seven games of a season.
#49ers RB Christian McCaffrey has been carrying a team nuked by injuries — and here's how good he's been:
He's the first player since Marshall Faulk in 2000 to record 450+ rushing yards and 450+ receiving yards in the first 7 games of a season.
Faulk was NFL MVP that season. pic.twitter.com/6dlSfQ6OzK
— Jordan Schultz (@Schultz_Report) October 20, 2025
He also logged his seventh career game with 100 rushing yards and 70 receiving yards, the most in NFL history. No other player has more than six.
McCaffrey is incredibly consistent
Consistency is McCaffrey's calling card, and it has made him indispensable to head coach Kyle Shanahan's offense. His 201-yard outing marked his seventh consecutive game with at least 100 scrimmage yards to begin the season, tying Roger Craig's franchise record from 1988. He is also the first running back since Kareem Hunt in 2017 to accomplish that feat.
"He is the most consistent player I've been around," Shanahan said postgame. "He just allows you to stay on track. He gets every yard in the run game and more, and what he does in the pass game, it's rare you're going to throw the ball to him and not get a completion."
McCaffrey now has 64 career games with 100+ scrimmage yards, the most among all active NFL running backs.
Receiving milestones continue
McCaffrey's dominance isn't limited to the ground game. With seven catches for 72 yards, he became the first running back in NFL history to record at least 50 receiving yards in each of his team's first seven games of a season. His streak of seven straight games with 50+ receiving yards is tied for the second-longest in league history among running backs, just three games shy of Herschel Walker's 10.
Sunday also marked his 47th career game with 50+ receiving yards, tied for the third-most by a running back in the Super Bowl era.
Climbing the franchise record books
Since arriving in the Bay Area, McCaffrey has continued to rewrite the team's record book. His 12 career games with at least 50 rushing yards and 50 receiving yards as a Niner rank third in franchise history, trailing only Roger Craig (17) and Frank Gore (14).
McCaffrey's brilliant performance against the Falcons further cemented his reputation as one of the NFL's most impactful and versatile offensive weapons. For the 49ers, his continued excellence on the field could prove crucial as they look to remain atop the NFC West standings.