The 49ers and star running back Christian McCaffrey already were a match made in heaven -- purely for reasons on the field.
Combining coach Kyle Shanahan's positionless scheme with McCaffrey's versatility has allowed San Francisco's offense to become a juggernaut since trading for the two-time First-Team All-Pro during the 2022 NFL season.
But that's not the only reason McCaffrey's acquisition was ideal; Kyle's father -- legendary coach Mike Shanahan -- and Christian's father -- receiver Ed McCaffrey -- won three Super Bowls together, including Super Bowl XXIX with the 49ers.
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So, when rumors began to circle around a potential McCaffrey trade from the Carolina Panthers to San Francisco, the McCaffrey and Shanahan families -- who remain close -- had an added rooting interest. They recounted their memories of the trade saga for "Monday Night Countdown" ahead of the 49ers vs. Jets Week 1 matchup.
"We were so excited about it, so we just kept talking about it," Peggy Shanahan, Kyle's mother, told ESPN's Michelle Beisner-Buck. "When I talked to Kyle, I go, 'What are you going to do?'"
"I'm not sure yet, Mom," was Kyle's reply.
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"He knew I wanted to say something, but I wouldn't," Peggy continued. "I just called Lisa [Christian's mother] and I go, 'I can't get anything out of him. Nothing. Absolutely nothing.' I don't think Christian had any idea for sure either way."
Lisa corroborated that intuition, saying that Christian didn't know the trade would happen until 11 p.m. on the night it was reported.
"I didn't think he'd be traded for some reason -- I just don't know why," Lisa recalled. "All of a sudden, 11 o'clock at night, Christian called ... He just said, 'Niners.'"
And if there's any doubt as to the McCaffrey's desire for where their son would play, this anecdote should settle it.
"I threw the phone. We were freaking out, screaming," Lisa shared. "Ed had a pair of shorts on. He took the shorts off, and underneath those shorts were a pair of 49ers shorts. He was secretly trying to make that happen."
"I was trying. That's the extent of my involvement," Ed added, noting that he had no inside knowledge about the trade process.
Lisa even hinted that her son was close to being traded to another team -- close enough that she was justifying that organization as a good landing spot for Christian.
But, of course, San Francisco completed the deal in the end, and it has worked out well for everyone involved.
"He's so happy there, and a lot of it is the teammates," Ed said. "He went to a team that was established with a coach who has been there for a while and with really talented players who approach the game the way he did."
Though McCaffrey currently is on IR for the next few weeks nursing an Achilles injury, he's expected to play a major role again this season as San Francisco chases an elusive Super Bowl victory.
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