Shanahan and general manager John Lynch have gradually turned the 49ers into one of the NFL's best teams since he joined in 2017, but a midseason trade for Christian McCaffrey in October 2022 took them to another level.
He literally hits the ground running, and is also a threat in the passing game. He even threw a touchdown pass as well last season. He can pretty much do it all. Including the playoffs, McCaffrey leads the league with 24 touchdowns.
McCaffrey's move from Carolina also completed some great family connections. His father, Ed, was a wide receiver who helped San Francisco to its last Super Bowl win in 1995, before winning two more titles with Denver.
The Broncos were coached by Mike Shanahan, Kyle's father, and the families were close. It was rumored that Kyle was a teenager using to babysit Christian, although it turned out that his sister was actually responsible., external
“I was very close to Christian’s dad growing up,” Kyle Shanahan said. “He and Rod Smith were the receivers for the Broncos, and I would meet them after school to run routes and do drills.
“Then it was so funny watching Christian over the years. I couldn't believe how talented he was. But I also knew his father and how psychotic he was with his work ethic and attention to detail.
“That's what was so cool, trading for Christian and actually getting to know him. I feel like I'm watching Ed half the time.”
