There aren't many NFL players, let alone athletes, who can impact a game as much as 49ers superstar running back Christian McCaffrey.
McCaffrey already was one of, if not the best, at his position before San Francisco traded for him midway through the 2022 NFL season, but further solidified his elite status in coach Kyle Shanahan's offense by helping lead the 49ers to wins in 12 of their 13 regular- and postseason games last season.
Shanahan joined NBC Sports Bay Area's Matt Maiocco and Laura Britt on stage at the Dwight Clark Legacy Series event on Wednesday night in San Jose, where he discussed his star running back and how much easier McCaffrey has made his job as a play caller.
"It makes it easier, it calms your mind a little bit, you don't have to make much stuff up," Shanahan told Maiocco and Britt. "Everyone's like 'Oh you got him now, how creative are you going to be?' Well, you don't have to be as creative. He can beat that guy, you don't have to help him. The defense has to help the guy guarding him. That's where it gets cool and that's what I love so much about Christian and having him for those nine games."
Shanahan went on to explain that McCaffrey's presence on offense alone oftentimes creates a gravitational pull with opposing defenses, which sometimes results in multiple defenders committing to him in coverage, freeing up opportunities for San Francisco's other playmakers.
Similar to when Golden State Warriors superstar point guard Steph Curry is on the court, McCaffrey largely is the focus for opposing defenses.
"If I can put it in basketball terms, which are totally different, but like you have someone like Steph Curry where people think he's going to make that three every time," Shanahan explains. "So when you put Steph somewhere, what does that do for everyone else?
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"I mean Christian out of any of those players, because of the position he plays, with everything else stacked with it, really makes it easier, in my opinion, to get the ball to [George] Kittle, to get it to Deebo [Samuel], to get it to [Brandon] Aiyuk, to get it to Jauan [Jennings]. As a play-caller, I'm not as stressed ... you guys pick your poison, go ahead and double him."
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Athletes like McCaffrey and Curry truly are in a league of their own and there isn't much opposing teams can do to stop them.
Fortunately for both Bay Area teams, neither player has shown signs of slowing down any time soon.