Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
The Carolina Panthers visit Levi’s Stadium on Monday night to face the San Francisco 49ers. For Christian McCaffrey, it’s another matchup against his former team, but the running back emphasized there’s no added emotion just because he’ll be facing the team that traded him in 2022.
“I take every game seriously, and this one, I also take very seriously,” McCaffrey told reporters on Thursday.
The 49ers currently sit at 7-4, trailing the Los Angeles Rams and Seattle Seahawks in the NFC West, making every game critical to the team’s playoff hopes. The Panthers aren’t out of contention either, making this matchup equally important for them.
“It’s a big game for all of us,” McCaffrey said. “And for us, it’s about going out there, having a great week of practice and a great week of prep, and executing at a high level.”
McCaffrey has enjoyed an impressive 2025 season, dispelling any doubts about his ability to bounce back from an injury-plagued 2024. He leads the NFL with 1,439 scrimmage yards and 11 touchdowns, putting him on pace to surpass 2,000 scrimmage yards for the third time in his career—and the second since joining the 49ers.
His last 2,000-yard season came in 2023, earning him NFL Offensive Player of the Year honors.
Despite his personal success, McCaffrey remains focused on the team’s goals. This week for the 49ers, that’s improving to 8-4 and keeping pace in a competitive division, with the Panthers standing in the way.
“They really are all important,” McCaffrey said. “And I think if there’s any extra added emotion, you just let that come naturally on game day. That’s why they say ‘any given Sunday.’
“We’re unlike other professional leagues, where we have a limited amount of games, and each one is unbelievably important.”
On Thursday, kicker Matt Gay admitted that he didn’t expect to land on an NFL roster so soon after the Washington Commanders released him.
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