He may not be doing it with the Carolina Panthers, but watching Christian McCaffrey command the big-time stage in a big-time spot is a pretty awesome sight.
The star running back shined on Thursday night, leading his San Francisco 49ers to an NFC West title in a 21-13 victory over the Seattle Seahawks. And now, for the first time in his NFL career, he can call himself a division champion.
McCaffrey ran for a game-high 108 yards and a touchdown on 26 carries while adding in 30 more yards off six receptions. The win also moves the 49ers to 8-0 since acquiring the do-it-all back from the Panthers—a stretch in which he’s amassed 914 total yards and eight scores.
During his five full seasons with Carolina, McCaffrey tasted playoff football just once. That appearance came in his rookie season of 2017, when the 11-5 Panthers clinched a wild card spot and subsequently lost to the New Orleans Saints in a close 31-26 battle.
As for today’s Panthers, they very well could join McCaffrey in the postseason—as they’re four more wins away from the NFC South crown. And maybe, just maybe, they’ll see each other on the field once again.
