SANTA CLARA — Christian McCaffrey is a perfectionist, and 49ers running backs coach Anthony Lynn loves it.
Not wanting to make any mistakes can potentially stifle a player, or person, but that is not the case with McCaffrey. Lynn believes the incredible attention to detail is what keeps the All-Pro motivated, and thus, so successful.
“Some guys they can be that, and they can be so anal that the anxiety sets in and they can’t perform,” Lynn told NBC Sports Bay Area on Thursday. “He’s different. He performs better. So you let him be him.”
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McCaffrey was traded to the 49ers prior to Week 7 of the 2022 NFL season. Considering the complexity of coach Kyle Shanahan’s offense, Lynn did not expect his new ball carrier to see the field much in Week 7, if at all. He couldn’t have been more wrong.
“When he first got here he was here for a day and a half and I didn’t think he was going to play,” Lynn said. “And he said, ‘Are you kidding me? Coach, I’m playing.’ I saw we had about six or seven plays he might get. I think he had 30.”
McCaffrey wasn’t on the field for 30 snaps, but it was close. During his 23 offensive plays during the 49ers' Week 7 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs, McCaffrey carried the ball eight times for 38 yards and caught both of his targets for 24 yards.
After that loss, the 49ers went on a 12-game winning streak until the NFC Championship Game. Part of that was a result of McCaffrey’s work ethic that Lynn saw upon his arrival in Santa Clara.
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“He brought the playbook on the sidelines,” Lynn said. “In between series, he was studying. That’s Christian McCaffrey. I love that about him.”
That wasn’t the only time Lynn has been surprised by the ways of his star running back. The position coach knew he had a perfectionist on his hands but did not quite realize to what extent until McCaffrey made a mistake or two at practice.
“He’s a lot of fun, now he can be a pain because he is a perfectionist,” Lynn said. “I love that about him but he is going to always question things as far as how he is doing this, how he is doing that. He wants your opinion on every single thing.
“If he drops two balls, he could have a great practice, but when he drops two balls it could be the worst practice he’s had in eight years. I’m like Christian, ‘That was a good practice.’ But I love his mentality. He just wants to be perfect and he wants to win a championship.”
McCaffrey clearly is a perfect fit for the 49ers' quest for another championship.