Carolina Panthers running back Christian McCaffrey joined Roger Craig and Marshall Faulk this year as the only three players to ever compile 1,000 yards rushing and receiving in the same season.
McCaffrey gained 1,387 yards on the ground with 15 touchdowns while also catching 116 passes for 1,005 yards and four touchdowns this season for the Panthers. Craig accomplished the feat in 1985 for the San Francisco 49ers while Faulk set his mark in 1999.
According to Bill Voth of the Panthers team website, Faulk spoke about McCaffrey’s season Wednesday at the Super Bowl and said McCaffrey is equipped to be a better player than he was.
“He’s a better version of me,” Faulk said.
Faulk was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2011. He was the NFL MVP in 2000. He was won three straight NFL Offensive Player of the Year honors, was named to the Pro Bowl seven times and was a three-time first-team All-Pro. Faulk’s resume is littered with accolades. Faulk suggesting McCaffrey can surpass his own abilities speaks incredibly highly of the realms where McCaffrey’s career could be headed.
“He had to do more with less help. I had a lot of help,” Faulk said.
McCaffrey has touched the ball 729 times over the last two seasons for the Panthers. He’s averaging nearly 23 touches a game and played over 93 percent of Carolina’s offensive snaps over the last two years. He accomplished the feat of posting his dual 1,000-yard marks as Cam Newton made just two starts at quarterback and Kyle Allen and Will Grier combined to start the remaining 14 contests.
If McCaffrey continues to get that kind of usage with his proven success, he could become the only player to ever to post multiple seasons of 1,000/1,000 yards.