San Francisco 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan has officially extended one of the silliest streaks in all of football.
Shanahan and the 49ers were victorious on Thursday against the Seattle Seahawks to improve to 10-4 and officially clinch the NFC West division title. During the contest, running back Christian McCaffrey rushed for 108 yards, giving him 534 yards as a 49er on the year. That made McCaffrey San Francisco’s leading rusher this season, surpassing Jeff Wilson Jr., who ran for 468 yards in 2022 before being traded to the Miami Dolphins.
Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area shared that McCaffrey now becomes the sixth different leading rusher for the 49ers in Shanahan’s six seasons as head coach. Yes, no running back has ever led the team in rushing yards twice during Shanahan’s tenure.
Shanahan, whose 49ers teams have now been led in rushing by Carlos Hyde, Matt Breida, Raheem Mostert, Elijah Mitchell, Wilson, and McCaffrey, is well-known for his hot-hand approach to the backfield. Instead of relying on a single bellcow, Shanahan-led offenses have historically spread the touches out among several different backs. Even with an All-Pro-caliber talent in McCaffrey now at Shanahan’s disposal, players such as Mitchell (when healthy) and Jordan Mason have still gotten a decent amount of work.
The unusual methods from Shanahan do not always work in the postseason. But he has done a pretty nice job of getting them there in the first place with the 49ers now clinching their third playoff berth in the last four seasons.
