In the case of any father’s love for his son, as a rule it would be smart to take anything they say in praise of their own child with a grain of salt.
In the case of former Denver Broncos wide receiver and 3-time Super Bowl champion Ed McCaffrey, we may have found the exception to the rule.
McCaffrey, the father of San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey and Washington Commanders wide receiver Luke McCaffrey, was recently asked to compare Christian McCaffrey to one of his Pro Football Hall of Fame teammates in legendary Broncos running back Terrell Davis.
“You’re talking about two of the greatest football players of all time,” McCaffrey told Essentially Sports. “Yeah. They’re both obviously excellent.”
Simple logic that’s hard to argue with.
Christian McCaffrey could very well be named NFL Offensive Player of the Year for the second time in 3 seasons following the 2025 season after cracking 2,000 yards of total offense for the third time in his career to go with 17 total touchdowns. He also has his team back in the playoffs, where they’ll travel to play the defending Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday, January 11, at 4:30 p.m. EST (Fox).
Ed McCaffrey won 2 Super Bowls with the Broncos, following the 1997 and 1998 seasons alongside Davis, and won a third Super Bowl with the 49ers following the 1994 season.
Explaining Story Behind Viral Photo of CMC
Ed McCaffrey also took time to explain a viral photo of Christian McCaffrey wearing a Terrell Davis jersey in 2016, when he was starring at Stanford, and the crazy twist that happened afterward.
Ed McCaffrey said the photo was from the Broncos’ win over the Carolina Panthers in Super Bowl 50 at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California, in February 2016— where McCaffrey now plays his home games and where Super Bowl LX will be played on February 8.
Just a little over one year after the picture was taken, the Panthers selected McCaffrey with the No. 8 overall pick in the 2017 NFL draft. He was eventually traded to the 49ers midway through the 2022 season.
“Christian was still in college,” Ed McCaffrey said. “He went to the game wearing a Terrell Davis Denver Broncos jersey, rooting for the Broncos. Now, as fate would have it, he was drafted by the Panthers the next year, which was kind of hilarious. He was at that game in a Broncos jersey, because he grew up as a Broncos fan. He got to meet TD when he was just a little kid, when we were playing back in the early 2000s. That was pretty cool for him to get to watch his hero when he was younger. He probably watched all of his games, watched the Super Bowls a million different times, and probably emulated some of the things that he used to do.”
Davis One of NFL’s Most Unique Talents, Careers
Davis, a former sixth round pick only played 7 seasons for the Broncos with only 4 full seasons and was still elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He was named Super Bowl MVP in Super Bowl XXXII following the 1997 season and was named NFL MVP following the 1998 season after he became one of just 9 players in NFL history to rush for over 2,000 yards in a single season.
Super Bowl Champion WR Ed McCaffrey Compares CMC to Broncos Hall of Famer