Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
USA Today Sports Media Group
USA Today Sports Media Group
Sport
Robert Zeglinski

The 49ers’ injury situation had fans really wanting to see Christian McCaffrey play quarterback

After what appeared to be a dream season, Sunday’s NFC title game unfolded like a complete disaster for the San Francisco 49ers. Kyle Shanahan’s bunch looked forward to pushing the Philadelphia Eagles, but an early Brock Purdy “new Tom Brady” fumble changed the entire complexion of this final-four matchup. Because not only did Purdy lose possession, he suffered an elbow injury that appeared to limit his ability to throw the ball.

Have no fear! There was fourth-stringer Josh Johnson! Oh wait, he would also get knocked out of the game. Uh, so … what options did the 49ers have at quarterback, as both Purdy and Johnson seemed incapable of playing?

Why none other than the monstrous tailback Christian McCaffrey (seriously). The 49ers confirmed this possibility when Johnson’s ailment had the 49ers’ staff give McCaffrey a special helmet that could hear the offensive play calls:

Even while they prepped for McCaffrey to take snaps at QB, it seemed the 49ers wanted to avoid this worst-case scenario. A limited Purdy would come back in to take snaps, putting the runner back on ice.

Nevertheless, folks were over the moon at the possibility of a running back in McCaffrey potentially going under center in a conference championship game.

NFL fans really wanted to see Christian McCaffrey playing QB after the 49ers' injuries

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.