Could CMC repeat rare rushing, receiving feat with 49ers?

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Only three players in NFL history have recorded 1,000 rushing yards and 1,000 receiving yards in one season, and one of them was on the 49ers' roster when he accomplished the rare feat. 

A second currently is a member of the 49ers organization, and the question is: Could he do it again?

Now, with a star-studded supporting cast. is it even possible for Christian McCaffrey to come close to repeating his record-breaking 2019 season? 

In 1985, 49ers running back Roger Craig was the ground breaker, recording 1,050 yards rushing, 1,016 yards receiving and 15 total touchdowns. In that same season, his 49ers teammate Wendell Tyler rushed for 867 yards while rookie receiver Jerry Rice racked up 927 yards receiving. Dwight Clark recorded 705 yards. 

Fourteen years later, St. Louis Rams running back Marshall Faulk registered 1,381 rushing yards, 1,048 receiving yards and 12 all-purpose touchdowns while sharing the field with fellow running back Robert Holcombe (294 yards rushing), Isaac Bruce (1,165 yards receiving) and Torry Holt (788 yards receiving). 

Then in 2019, while with the Carolina Panthers, McCaffrey became the third player to reach the substantial milestone. The All-Pro running back carried the ball 287 times for 1,387 yards and caught 116 passes for 1,005 yards along with 19 total touchdowns. 

McCaffrey had the supporting cast of receiver Curtis Samuel, who registered 130 yards rushing and 627 yards receiving, as well as D.J. Moore, who recorded 1,175 yards receiving during the same season. 

The 49ers arguably have one of the most talented rosters in the NFL, and with that usually comes a more balanced offense. Yet, a repeat performance isn’t entirely out of the question for McCaffrey. 

In 2021, 49ers star Deebo Samuel earned an All-Pro nod after recording 1,405 yards receiving, 365 yards rushing and 14 all-purpose touchdowns. After the season was over, the “wide back” shared he thought he could have reached the 1,000/1,000 marker if he had started running the ball earlier in the season. 

Samuel running the ball, however, came out of necessity. Elijah Mitchell was the only player with more yards on the ground. The Louisiana ball carrier led the team with 963 rushing yards but dealt with knee issues and only appeared in 11 games -- 10 as a starter.  

The 49ers were more balanced through the air in that same season, between tight end George Kittle's 910 yards and wideout Brandon Aiyuk's 826 yards. 

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During the 2022 NFL season, McCaffrey wasn’t far away from repeating the landmark with 1,139 yards rushing and 741 yards receiving while playing six games with the Panthers and 11 for the 49ers. But while individual accolades are nice for players, the No. 1 goal always is to win a Super Bowl. 

Being the first player to repeat a 1,000/1,000 season in the history of the NFL would be incredibly impressive for McCaffrey, but it is obvious simply winning games takes precedence. However, if winning a Super Bowl and the ground breaking stats occur for McCaffrey at the same time, no one at team headquarters will be complaining. 

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