San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey (23) makes a catch against the Philadelphia Eagles during the third quarter at Lincoln Financial Field. Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports

Christian McCaffrey ends dubious 49ers streak with latest performance

By Michael Gallagher | Last updated 12/4/23

With his 17-carry, 93-yard rushing performance in Sunday’s 42-19 win over the Philadelphia Eagles, San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey ended one of the more confounding streaks in the NFL.

McCaffrey, who leads the NFL with 1,032 rushing yards, became the first 49ers running back since Frank Gore in 2014 to top 1,000 single-season rushing yards, ending an eight-year streak and earning a shoutout from Gore on social media.

Congrats @CMC_22 ‼️ Extremely Well Deserved‼️
Let's Keep Working‼️ #ForeverGrateful #FTTB https://t.co/WpkjU8KvMd
— Frank Gore (@frankgore) December 4, 2023

Thanks to McCaffrey’s feat, the New York Jets and Tampa Bay Buccaneers are now tied for the longest active drought at seven years. The last time each franchise had a 1,000-yard rusher was 2015 when Chris Ivory and Doug Martin rushed for 1,070 yards and 1,402 yards, respectively.

Had he spent the entire 2022 season in San Francisco, McCaffrey likely would have ended the streak last year. He rushed for 746 yards in 11 games after being acquired in October for four draft picks — a pace that would have put him around 1,152 yards.

McCaffrey surpassed his rushing numbers from last season through the same number of games this year, totaling 193 more yards and six more touchdowns in 2023.

Gore, who played for the 49ers from 2005-14, reached the milestone in eight of his 10 seasons with the team. He’s also holds 49ers franchise records for career rushing yards (11,073) and carries (2,442), and he ranks second in touchdowns (64).

Gore is also the third-leading rusher in NFL history (16,00 yards), trailing only Emmitt Smith (18,355) and Walter Payton (16,726).

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