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Even amid a dreadful season for the Carolina Panthers, Christian McCaffrey continues to provide hope for the future. After catching his sixth pass of the game on Sunday, McCaffrey is the first running back in NFL history with 100 or more receptions in two of his first three seasons per NFL Research.
Christian McCaffrey (@run__cmc) is the 4th player in NFL history with 100+ receptions in 2 of his first 3 seasons in NFL history
He is the first RB to accomplish the feat
Others: Anquan Boldin (2003, 2005), Brandon Marshall (2007-2008) and Michael Thomas (2017-2018)#Panthers
— NFL Research (@NFLResearch) December 22, 2019
The only other players to accomplish the feat are Anquan Boldin, Brandon Marshall, and Michael Thomas. The one thing that all of those guys have is that they are wide receivers. Of course, McCaffrey is a running back.
In comparison, Marshall Faulk and LaDainian Tomlinson were known for their receiving abilities as running backs. Over the course of their Hall-of-Fame careers, Faulk and Tomlinson combined for one 100-reception season.
Last year, McCaffrey was able to corral 107 receptions for 867 yards and six touchdowns as a second-year player. At the time this article is being written, the former eighth overall pick has 106 catches, 904 yards, and four touchdowns already.
Among all of the running backs, McCaffrey is inarguably the best receiving back in the NFL. With seven more receptions, McCaffrey could total 300 receptions in his first three seasons in the league.
To go along with his receiving numbers, the dual-threat back has rushed for 1,361 yards on 278 carries and 14 touchdowns on the ground. If Carolina had a better record, McCaffrey would be talked about in the media way more often.
At 23-years-old, Christian McCaffrey has cemented himself as a superstar in the NFL with the Panthers. While Carolina's quarterback position is in disarray, they are set at running back for years to come.
