{"id":930033,"date":"2026-06-27T08:15:13","date_gmt":"2026-06-27T08:15:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/930033\/"},"modified":"2026-06-27T08:15:13","modified_gmt":"2026-06-27T08:15:13","slug":"what-former-coach-told-christian-mccaffrey-early-in-nfl-career-nbc-sports-bay-area-california","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/930033\/","title":{"rendered":"What former coach told Christian McCaffrey early in NFL career \u2013 NBC Sports Bay Area & California"},"content":{"rendered":"

When Christian McCaffrey<\/a> is out on the field, there doesn’t seem to be anything he can’t do. But McCaffrey’s former running backs coach, Jake Peetz, was able to find a weakness in the superstar’s game while they worked together with the Carolina Panthers.<\/p>\n

“You can ask him this,” Peetz stated on NFL Spotlight with Ari Meirov<\/a>. “I said, ‘I think you\u2019re one of the worst running backs in the league at pass protection.’ What do I know about running back pass protection? Nothing.”<\/p>\n

\u201cThe thing I told Christian [McCaffrey] is, \u2018I think you\u2019re one of the worst RBs in the league in pass protection.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNow, what do I know about RB pass protection? NOTHING.\u201d#Seahawks<\/a> pass game coordinator Jake Peetz was McCaffrey\u2019s RBs coach in Carolina during his historic\u2026 https:\/\/t.co\/RxJKo8kspW<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/y40tirPvox<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) June 24, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n

Peetz had been an assistant coach for years, but mainly as a quarterbacks coach. When former Panthers offensive coordinator Norv Turner<\/a> asked him to come help out with the running backs, Peetz was surprised.<\/p>\n

“It wasn\u2019t in my bingo card to coach running backs,” Peetz continued. “So what I did was I went to Kennedy Polamalu and Eric Bieniemy<\/a>, I spent a ton of time with them at the combine. They sent me tons of individual drills that I could go through.”<\/p>\n

McCaffrey was a standout player in college; he was the runner-up to Derrick Henry<\/a> for the Heisman Trophy back in 2015. As a young player in the NFL, it was clear McCaffrey was going to be a household name. That didn’t change the fact that he wanted to be coached hard.<\/p>\n

“You have a player who was a high first-round pick,” Peetz stated. “Everyone knows he has talent, but he really wants to be coached and challenged. During our first phone call, he brought that up.”<\/p>\n

Peetz had tons of experience on the offensive side of the ball. The year before joining Carolina, he was an offensive analyst at Alabama under Nick Saban<\/a>. A common thread in a program of that stature is getting the most out of every single player on the roster.<\/p>\n

“I had a guy that was extremely motivated and extremely talented,” Peetz said of McCaffrey. “But, how do I make this guy better?”<\/p>\n

In 2018, McCaffrey rushed for 1,098 yards in his second NFL season. When Peetz arrived in 2019, the Stanford alum was somehow even more effective.<\/p>\n

“Christian and I went through individual tape,” Peetz stated. “We went through a bunch of notes. We worked together, and it was awesome. He put in all the work. Turner called a lot of plays that ended up having the ball in Christian\u2019s hands, and Christian did a great job of staying healthy and making it through it.”<\/p>\n

McCaffrey finished the 2019 season with 1,387 rushing yards, along with 1,005 receiving yards. His first and final season with Peetz as his running backs coach was his only season with 1,000 yards rushing and receiving. Let’s also not forget that his pass protection improved significantly.<\/p>\n

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