When the San Francisco 49ers line up against the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday, all eyes will be on Christian McCaffrey. The star running back stands on the precipice of NFL immortality, needing just one more touchdown reception to break a record that has stood for nearly two decades.
McCaffrey is currently tied with Hall of Famer Marshall Faulk at 36 career receiving touchdowns by a running back, according to ProFootballTalk. His next score through the air would give him 37, alone atop the all-time list. What makes this feat even more remarkable is the speed at which McCaffrey has reached this milestone—he's done it in roughly three fewer seasons and dozens fewer games than Faulk, a former NFL MVP.
McCaffrey has been a model of consistency in the passing game, averaging four touchdown catches per season. In 2025 alone, he hauled in seven scoring grabs. If he can stay on the field, breaking the record seems almost inevitable. The question is whether it happens this weekend in front of the home crowd at Levi's Stadium.
The parallels between McCaffrey and Faulk are uncanny. Both were first-round picks who were traded mid-career—Faulk from the Colts to the Rams, McCaffrey from the Panthers to the 49ers—and both immediately transformed their new teams into Super Bowl contenders. They're also members of the exclusive 1,000-rushing/1,000-receiving club, and each has posted multiple seasons with over 2,000 scrimmage yards. It's a comparison that McCaffrey, who has long admired Faulk, doesn't take lightly.
Yet, the biggest hurdle for McCaffrey has always been health. He's missed more than 30 games in his career and has played a full season only twice since 2020. At 30 years old—an age when many running backs begin to decline—he knows the clock is ticking. But McCaffrey has defied odds before, and a record-breaking performance would be the perfect statement to start 2026.
If McCaffrey does find the end zone through the air on Sunday, he'll join an elite fraternity of players who've redefined what it means to be a dual-threat back. It would also add another chapter to a career that's already worthy of Canton. As the 49ers gear up for a playoff push, McCaffrey's pursuit of history is a storyline that transcends the game itself.
For more on the NFL's evolving landscape, check out this piece on the league's new cheerleading initiatives. And for a look at another record-breaking performance, see Caitlin Clark's historic FIBA debut.
Stay tuned—Sunday could be the day McCaffrey cements his legacy as the greatest receiving running back in NFL history.
