Christian McCaffrey's dominant runs range from calculated and methodical to downright violent, with each gain often requiring something different from the 49ers running back.
But one thing that remains the same is a near-bloodthirsty mindset that has helped McCaffrey look right at home with a physical San Francisco squad since arriving in the Bay via trade one year ago. His teammates, of course, have noticed.
"He’s a fool in pads,” 49ers linebacker Dre Greenlaw told the San Francisco Chronicle's Mike Silver this week. “I think he fits right in. He’s one of those f---d up people. When you’re a f---d up person, you can tell when someone else is. He wants to be part of that 49er culture. You come in here and see a bunch of crazy guys. Join the club.”
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Greenlaw. Trent Williams. Fred Warner. Deebo Samuel. George Kittle. The list of 49ers who leave it all on the field when it comes to physicality goes on and on, and McCaffrey's mix of anger and thoughtfulness on the gridiron has helped him fit in while also setting himself apart. The All-Pro detailed to Silver how he balances that approach.
"I think when you’re running, you have to respect the game of football and what it requires,” McCaffrey told Silver. “This sport is not for the timid, that’s for sure. At the same time, each play has a life of its own. And some plays require you to be angry.
“I feel free when I’m playing football. I feel like I can completely be myself. And sometimes I am angry, if the play calls for that. But sometimes you need to be patient; sometimes you need to be calm; sometimes you need to be light on your feet and move swiftly. If you’re angry at certain points, running with your head down and pissed off, you could miss the cut. When you’re free you’re able to access every emotion that’s required with the play. I think the beauty of football is it brings out natural emotions that you don’t have to force.”
Everything has come naturally for McCaffrey so far this season, with his production for the 49ers placing him atop the NFL MVP conversation for many. Through four games, the 27-year-old leads the league in rushing attempts (80), rushing yards, (459), rushing touchdowns (8) rushing yards per game (114.8), rushing attempts and receptions combined (98), and yards from scrimmage (600).
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"It’s insane that it was legal for him to be traded to us,” 49ers fullback Kyle Juszczyk told Silver. “They should have banned that trade.”
San Francisco certainly is thankful its trade with the Carolina Panthers for McCaffrey went through last season, with coach Kyle Shanahan stating last week he can't imagine the 49ers without the star running back. But McCaffrey is equally as happy to wear the Red and Gold, telling Silver he's proud to be known as one of the 49ers' bruising offensive weapons.
“I think when you see a guy like Deebo who’ll break 10 tackles in a run, that’ll pump you up, and you want to do the same thing," McCaffrey told Silver. "When you see George, who’s been blocking his ass off every play and all of a sudden he gets the ball, trucks two dudes, stiff-arms a guy -- you want to be a part of that culture. Tape doesn’t lie."
Juszczyk, the 49ers' longest-tenured player on offense, understands McCaffrey's outlook. And in McCaffrey's effort to duplicate the physicality of those around him, he now serves as someone coaches and players point to as the blueprint.
“He plays angry. He plays like he’s been disrespected," Juszczyk told Silver of McCaffrey. "I do think it is typical of guys when they come here to want to match the mentality of guys around you. You see guys like [Brandon Aiyuk], Deebo and George Kittle and you feed off that. You don’t want to be the guy who gets taken down on a single tackle.
"[Running backs coach] Bobby Turner, he’ll use Christian as an example. He’ll say, ‘He’s got blonde hair, blue eyes; he’s a good-looking guy, he’s polite. But he’s got s--t in his neck when he’s out there.’ ”
Kittle echoed the sentiments of other 49ers, telling Silver that McCaffrey holds himself to a high standard because he knows his capabilities -- and if he doesn't meet those, even at practice, "there is no one angrier on the football field than him."
Through it all, from injuries in his past to Super Bowl aspirations with San Francisco, McCaffrey is focused on getting better each day. His authenticity on the gridiron is a product of that.
“I think the beauty of football is it brings out natural emotions that you don’t have to force,” McCaffrey told Silver. “I hate forcing emotions. I hate acting. I hate being inauthentic and having to force myself to be someone I’m not. That’s why I love football, because any emotion that you have is real, and that’s what it requires.
“Sometimes when you’re out there you might black out and start talking s--t to somebody, and it’s real. That’s actually happening. That’s why it’s the best sport in the world, ’cause there’s not really another canvas where you can do that. You can’t go into an office and just hit somebody and stiff-arm someone in the face.”