Will Christian McCaffrey be cast into Canton?
By: Jeremy Trottier
What better time to write a potential Hall of Fame piece than just after Christian McCaffrey just put together the first triple crown (1 rushing TD, 1 receiving TD, 1 passing TD) since 2005? There is no better time. In this article I will be discussing the career of premier back Christian McCaffrey, and if his career trajectory could be one that could be enshrined in Canton, Ohio someday in the future. So without further ado, let’s get right into it.
Stats & Accolades
Let me put something into perspective quickly. Hall of Fame running back Gale Sayers, one of the best to ever do it no doubt, had 4,956 rushing yards, 1,307 receiving yards, 9 receiving touchdowns, and 39 rushing touchdowns in 7 seasons (65 games started, 68 played). CMC has 4,112 rushing yards, 3,371 receiving yards, 19 receiving touchdowns, and 33 rushing touchdowns in 5 ½ seasons (59 games started, 66 played). We talk about how injured McCaffrey is, and yet through 6 seasons he will likely play more games and start more games than Sayers, and if he can really take off these last 8 games, he could even surpass Sayers in rushing yards and touchdowns. Keep in mind this is on similar efficiency as well, with Sayers having 5.0 YPC and CMC having 4.6 YPC behind what is one of the worst offensive lines of our generation.
McCaffrey is also a 1-time pro bowler and a 1-time first-team all-pro, and frankly one of the most impressive halfbacks in recent memory, even with the injuries.
So is he on a HOF trajectory?
Projecting a Hall of Fame career when the player is 26 years old is difficult, as this player still is just entering their prime years, and we saw that this past weekend with McCaffrey. Comparing him to Gale is just for effect, as I left out the fact that Sayers won CBPOY, OROY, 5 first-team all-pro selections, 4 pro bowls, 2x rushing leader, 1x scoring leader, and a Bears legend. However, with CMC now on a competent franchise, seemingly healthy, and with a run-heavy coach who knows how to get backs production? As well as a potential Super Bowl window? There is potential here for CMC to get his name back into the elite status and really cement himself with some hardware. We will see where his career takes him, but he is on the right track for now.
