As the Denver Broncos prepare to face the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday in Week 4, they have to account for one of the game's most explosive players and Colorado native, running back Christian McCaffrey.
McCaffrey hails from one of the first families of football in Colorado, as the son of three-time Super Bowl champion Ed McCaffrey. Coming up in Colorado, he played through the high school ranks at Valor Christian High School in Highlands Ranch, before heading to college at Stanford.
After being drafted in the first round of the NFL draft by the Carolina Panthers, McCaffrey spent six and a half seasons with the Panthers before being traded to the 49ers. McCaffrey went off the board well before the Broncos went on the clock in the first round, and current
defensive coordinator Vance Joseph said it "hurt" that Denver wasn't able to land him. Eight years later, CMC is now set to face his hometown team for the first time in his career.
Of anyone on the Broncos, coach Sean Payton has faced McCaffrey the most, primarily from his time in New Orleans. For his entire career, McCaffrey has been one of the most dynamic running backs across the NFL.
"We saw him a lot [in New Orleans]," Payton said on Wednesday. "You’re always happy when a good player like that gets traded out of your division. I think that opportunity that took place with Christian in San Francisco was such a great fit with Kyle [Shanahan]. Sometimes when you get those perfect fits, it can change the career path of any given player.
"He does so many things well. His football I.Q. is high, his skill set as a receiver, as a runner, all the things that you’re looking for in a good football player, but a really good running back. A lot of it goes through him. When we talk about it, he has those Joker traits… [He's] elite at running, but also receiving and feel relative to what they’re asking him to do.”
The Broncos and Niners both come into the game with great records, Denver at 2-1, San Francisco at 3-0. The two teams are looking to position themselves at the top of their respective divisions and conferences in an already important early-season matchup. Although quarterback Bo Nix never touches the field at the same time as McCaffrey, Nix has gotten to know the family.
“Obviously being here, I’ve been able to meet their parents," Nix said Wednesday. "Great family. Obviously, you can tell why the sons are the way they are. I think they have great parents and they were raised right and all that kind of stuff. … I have great respect for the McCaffreys. Obviously, they’re really important to this town. It’ll be exciting to play against Christian this weekend.”
As one of the players who is on the field the same time as McCaffrey, All-Pro cornerback Pat Surtain knows what a threat he is.
"They throw a lot of stuff at you offensively," Surtain said of San Francisco's offense. "It starts with McCaffrey in the backfield and what he is able to do not only in the run game, but in the pass game as well. He’s definitely a threat coming out of the backfield.”
There will certainly be 10 other sets of eyes on McCaffrey on Sunday. Hopefully the Broncos will find a way to contain him.
Social: Follow Broncos Wire on Facebook and Twitter/X!
This article originally appeared on Broncos Wire: Broncos prepare to face Colorado’s own Christian McCaffrey in Week 4
