The San Francisco 49ers are kicking off their season with an international game, facing the Super Bowl favorite Los Angeles Rams in Melbourne, Australia, on Thursday's NFL schedule. Star running back and former NFL MVP contender, Christian McCaffrey, is expected to play after dealing with "tightness" that limited him this offseason. This NFL season, he's set to take sole possession of a major running back record, but it's based on receiving.
McCaffrey is currently tied with Pro Football Hall of Famer and Super Bowl champion Marshall Faulk, with 36 receiving touchdowns. Since McCaffrey is active and Faulk no longer plays, scoring a touchdown against the Rams will break the tie. McCaffrey, a four-time Pro Bowl selection, was the 2022 Offensive Player of the Year and the 2025 Comeback Player of the Year.
He earned his award last season after missing all but four games for the 49ers in 2024, after exiting the 49ers' fourth game of the season with a posterior cruciate ligament injury in his right knee. More news: 49ers Defender Suffers Season-Ending Injury Days Before Season Opener vs Rams While that injury ended McCaffrey's season after four games, he made up for it in 2025 with 1,202 rushing yards and 10 rushing touchdowns. As a receiver, McCaffrey tallied another 924 yards of offense and tied his career-high seven receiving touchdowns.
In his career, which included playing for the Carolina Panthers from 2017 to 2022, McCaffrey has scored at least one receiving touchdown each season, except last season, which ended prematurely. Interestingly, StatMuse lists Johnny "Blood" McNally as holding the record for receiving touchdowns by a running back with 37. McNally played 14 seasons in the NFL for various teams.
A four-time NFL champion with the Green Bay Packers, McNally played multiple positions, including defensive back, quarterback, receiver, halfback, and running back. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 1963. Unless McCaffrey suffers a misfortune on the field this season, he appears on track to take over that major NFL record for running backs.
Just one receiving touchdown puts him ahead of Faulk, and two puts him ahead of McNally. The 49ers are looking for another big season from CMC as they face a difficult NFC West with the Los Angeles Rams and Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks. McCaffrey could set the new record for running backs scoring receiving touchdowns on Thursday night, as the 49ers battle the Rams at 8:35 p.m.
Extract — continue reading at the source.
