The Carolina Panthers have been flat-out dominated by the Atlanta Falcons in their Week 1 divisional matchup. Regardless, running back Christian McCaffrey has still managed to join some rather elite company.
According to NFL Research, McCaffrey has now surpassed Hall of Famer LaDainian Tomlinson's mark for the most receptions by a running back through their first three seasons:
Christian McCaffrey now has 240 receptions in his career, the most by a RB in his first 3 seasons in NFL history.
He surpassed the previous record held by HOF LaDainian Tomlinson (238).
Although McCaffrey's historic day may be spoiled by Carolina's abysmal outing against Atlanta, this is still quite an impressive feat for any young running back.
Tomlinson was arguably the greatest running back of his generation. His status as a workhorse back was further complemented by his prowess as a receiver out of the backfield. It should be noted that Norv Turner had been the offensive coordinator for Tomlinson during his rookie year and helped put his versatile skill set on notice.
It is safe to say that Turner appears to be following a similar blueprint all these years later in Carolina. This approach has resulted in McCaffrey establishing himself as a bonafide MVP candidate in the 2019 NFL season thanks to his stellar production and heavy usage.
Of course, McCaffrey is certainly no stranger to making history with the numbers he has put up so early on in his career.
Unfortunately, his efforts are now in danger of potentially going to waste with the Panthers on the verge of dropping to 5-5 heading into the final stretch of the 2019 NFL season.
Follow Us
Subscribe