Christian McCaffrey Says Super Bowl Loss Left 'Salty Taste' in Mouth, Talks Madden 25 Cover

What happens when you combine football’s most electric dual threat tail back with the most creative offensive mind of the modern era? Look no further than Christian McCaffrey’s 2023 season with the San Francisco 49ers, one that concluded with over 2,000 yards from scrimmage, over 21 trips to the end zone, the Offensive Player of the Year award, and now, the cover athlete of Madden NFL 25.

Many Hall of Fame caliber backs have donned the prestigious honor, including names Marshall Faulk and Adrian Peterson. Beyond being an unstoppable force in the video game, the cover athlete becomes linked throughout history with that iteration of the installment. Once EA notified the superstar back of their decision, McCaffrey was elated.

“It’s a massive honor, man," McCaffrey tells Complex. "It’s something that I never really dreamed of. I always envisioned of having success in the NFL, but this is something that I never even thought about it. So, when I got the call, I was on cloud nine.”

Success is essentially all that McCaffrey has known since being the No. 8 overall selection in the 2017 NFL Draft. He’s now accumulated over 10,000 yards from scrimmage for his career and his list of personal accomplishments continues to multiply, with him coming off his best season at the age of 27.

The league’s top running back sat down with Complex to discuss the video game, his football journey, playing for 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan, and what’s left for him to accomplish.

This interview has been condensed for clarity.

This is an iconic franchise that has been connected with the game of football for quite some time now. When you were growing up, was there a player or team that you’d use in the game?
I go back to when we were extremely young. I have three brothers and we would play Madden 2001 and we would throw the ball to my dad (Ed) and Rod Smith on every play. Fast forward to today and to be on the cover is a huge honor. Some of my favorite memories with my brothers were playing Madden and using my dad in the game.

You mentioned your dad. You come from a football family as he was a three-time Super Bowl champ with the Denver Broncos. What was his role in helping you reach your potential?
Huge role, man. Just how to handle yourself from a character standpoint off the field and he was such a good role model for me to have. Not just for me, but for my brothers as well. My mom was right by his side too and she was the enforcer. It made for a great childhood growing up and I can’t say enough good things about how we were raised, the discipline that he instilled in us but also the ability to just have fun with my brothers. He never cared what we did as long as we gave it 100% and I owe a lot of my success to him.

Your younger brother Luke was just drafted in the third round by the Washington Commanders, so he’ll be making his debut in the Madden game. What do you think his overall will be and which of you guys is the better gamer?
That’s a good question, man. I know rookies always start off on the low end so whatever it is, he’s going to be pissed off about it and be hungry to raise it. I’m so excited for him, he’s got a great situation over there and I know he’s going to work so hard. As far as who the better gamer is… If you asked all four of us, you’d get four different answers so I’m going to go ahead and say me.

Carolina trades you to San Francisco to play for Kyle Shanahan, whose known for being an offensive genius with half the NFL using some variation of his system now. What sets him apart in your eyes and how have both of you guys brought out the best in each other?
First off, Kyle is such as smart football mind and it’s rare that you see a head coach that knows every single position at the highest level. As much as you learn about offensive football, you also learn so much about the defensive side and that just helps our players understand the game that much better. Obviously, he has such a sophisticated mind and the offense is great but knowing when or why to call certain plays is something that he’s mastered. So, when we’re in those meetings, I’m like a kid in a candy store because I’m always learning something.

On top of the Xs & Os portion of it, he has such a great way of getting every player to play extremely hard. When you have the right guys, who are willing to put it all on the line and you add a coach that’s one of the best that’s ever done it in terms of calling plays, that makes for a great combination.

Was there a moment where you knew that things were going to work out with you in a 49ers uniform?
I just tried to focus on one day at a time. When I got there, it was really just about learning the offense as quickly as possible and it’s such a complex playbook. I was with (running backs coach) Bobby Turner nonstop just going over plays so that whenever I did get in the game, I was ready to go. Fast forward two years later, we’ve had some success and left a goal a little short but it’s such an amazing team.

I think the biggest thing that I realized was how special the locker room was and how great all of my teammates are. You can tell that they had built that culture for a long time now and that was something that was very evident. You never really know that you’re going to have success on the field, but I knew that we had the right guys in place to do that.

San Francisco just signed you to a contract extension that made you the highest paid player at your position and deservedly so. Do you carry a sense of responsibility to make sure that the running back is still properly valued and appreciated in today’s NFL?
Yeah, collectively running backs have had such a massive impact on the game and I think that’s obvious. You look at how many players have had success for long periods of time and hopefully this is a step in the right direction.

When looking around the league, who are the next guys to take that mantle and carry the tradition you’ve helped set?
I think there’s some on almost every team. That’s what is so special about this league is how much talent there is at this position right now and how much of an impact that they’re having on their respective teams. I hope all these young guys come out and get paid as much as possible, but I always hope the guys that are looking for a second contract do as well. The biggest thing is proving that you can be sustainable and you’re not just a 4-5-year guy.

A guy like Derrick Henry who is older than me and he’s done nothing but have success. There’s older guys that have been ballin and I look up to those guys who have set the standard so that we can continue to roll.

You’re First Team All-Pro, Offensive Player of the Year and now the Madden cover representative. On a personal level, what else is left for you to accomplish?
Everyone has big goals but the older that I get, the more that I’ve really fallen in love with the competition of the game: the beauty of it, the preparation and just trying to do everything possible to win. Every time I get the ball, I try to score and whatever happens as far as the accolades go, that’s what happens.

But to your question on what is left to accomplish… do it again! Go win a Super Bowl. All these different things that you can do over and over. That’s really what the greats all have in common. They don’t just do it one year, but they have a massive track record of success and doing it repeatedly. For me, it’s about taking it one day at a time. Putting my mind, body and spirit in the best position so that I can go out there and help my team win games.

What are your expectations for the 2024 San Francisco 49ers?
I think everybody has a real salty taste in their mouths (from the loss in the Super Bowl). We know what we can now. Now, it’s time to just go out there and get it done.