By a funny twist of the schedule, Christian McCaffrey still hasn’t played his old team, the Carolina Panthers, since joining his new team, the San Francisco 49ers, about three years ago.
But he will this week. And in his first meeting with the team that traded him away almost three years and one month ago to the day, his revenge could very well be sweeter than a California grape.
The long wait occurred for a couple of reasons. One was that the 49ers were generally finishing at the top of their division while the Panthers were doing the opposite. Hence, the scheduling overlords never had the right combination in place to pit them against each other.
The other reason is that the last time these two teams matched up was actually just two weeks before McCaffrey was shipped off to the Bay. He had 104 scrimmage yards and a TD on 21 touches in 37-15 a loss, for those wondering.
The star running back will welcome many old teammates to San Francisco for the Monday Night Football matchup. But the way CMC was forced to leave the Panthers back in 2022 could have easily created a lot of animosity between he and his old Carolina comrades.
“It was late on a Thursday night. One of the things that makes me sad looking back is I couldn’t say bye to any of my teammates. I wish I could’ve just said bye to them. But I was on a flight at 7 a.m. on Friday so it was a quick turnaround.”
Thankfully, all of his old teammates saw the move for what it was: a situation where CMC had no choice but to pull an Irish exit. Rather than throw dirt on his name in the lead up to the reunion on MNF, old teammates Jaycee Horn and Chuba Hubbard have called him, “a gold jacket guy,” and, “a soldier,” when asked about No. 22.
It’s all nice words and good memories in the days leading up to kickoff between CMC and the Panthers. But once the final whistle blows at Levi’s Stadium on Monday night, Carolina might have to praise CMC through gritted teeth. Because he could be set for a massive night.
Christian McCaffrey has excellent chance to break a unique NFL record vs Panthers
Now that he’s swapped his black and blues for some red and gold threads, Christian McCaffrey could be ready to hit the NFL record books once again. (He’s already in there for multiple milestones, including most receptions by a RB in a season, with 116.)
Last year, Saquon Barkley’s homecoming against the Giants was all the rage. The future Offensive Player of the Year responded with 176 yards against his former team.
That may seem like a lot for a revenge game—because it is. According to NFL+, 176 rushing yards is the second-most ever for a player going against a former team, trailing only Cedric Benson’s 189 against the Chicago Bears back in 2009.
Saquon Barkley’s 176 rushing yards vs the Giants are the second-most in NFL history by a player vs their former team
The only player with more was Cedric Benson in 2009 vs the Bears (189 yards)@NFLPlus https://t.co/lkBGtWrK2c
— Dante Koplowitz-Fleming (@DanteKopFlem) October 20, 2024
Now, McCaffrey’s career record for a single game is 184, but there are reasons to believe he is set to break his own record as well as this NFL mark.
The Panthers have struggled mightily to stop the run in recent games: they have allowed 149 yards per game on the ground over the last four weeks, fifth-most in the league. Teams are also running the ball over 31 times a game against Carolina during that span.
With just 25 carries combined over the last two games, CMC is due for a workhorse load this week. And you better believe Kyle Shanahan is aware of the revenge game implications. That puts the dual-threat RB in line for a major performance in prime time this week.
And does it get any sweeter than breaking a record against your old team?
