Former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Sam Darnold knows how motivated running back Christian McCaffrey is. originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
The San Francisco 49ers have one of the best players in the entire NFL in superstar running back Christian McCaffrey, but he missed most of the 2024 season with an Achilles injury.
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But former 49ers quarterback Sam Darnold knows that will not stop the veteran running back from making an impact in 2025.
Darnold recently spoke to NBC Sports about his former Carolina Panthers teammate, and gave a bit of a look into the star’s mentality.
“Christian, whether he goes through what he went through last year, or he goes through what he went through two years ago… he’s always going to have that fire under him,” Darnold said. “He doesn’t need external motivation… The best trait that Christian has is he is the most internally motivated person I’ve ever met in my life… He will always be that way, and that guy does not need any other motivation other than what he wants to prove to himself on a day-to-day basis.”
McCaffrey played just four games in 2024, so he will be hoping he can stay on the field and show why he is known as one of, if not the best running back in the entire NFL.
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Just two seasons ago in 2023, he racked up 1,459 yards and 14 touchdowns on the ground. He was also able to show his versatility with 564 yards and seven touchdowns through the air.
All of these stats led to the veteran running back winning the NFL Offensive Player of the Year Award and finishing third in MVP voting.
The Niners finished 2024 with a 6-11 record, so McCaffrey will be looking to help lead the team back to the playoffs and get back to their winning ways.
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This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 2, 2025, where it first appeared.
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