Kyle Shanahan and Christian McCaffrey are no strangers to Super Bowls. In fact, the San Francisco 49ers' head coach and running back celebrated two Super Bowl wins together in the late '90s, when their dads helped the Denver Broncos capture back-to-back titles.
Shanahan was a teenager when his father, Mike Shanahan, served as the Broncos head coach for those Super Bowl wins. McCaffrey was 1 and 2 years old when his dad, former NFL wideout Ed McCaffrey, helped the Broncos win the franchise's first two titles. Late in Super Bowl XXXII, Ed McCaffrey's crushing block on a big completion from John Elway to fullback Howard Griffith set up Terrell Davis' game-winning touchdown run as the Broncos beat the Green Bay Packers and snapped the NFC's 13-year Super Bowl winning streak.
Happy Birthday @87ed
— Old Time Football 🏈 (@Ol_TimeFootball) August 17, 2023
Ed McCaffrey throws a crushing block in Super Bowl XXXII.#BroncosCountry #Broncos pic.twitter.com/xuZkMtBc9r
Before their days in Denver, Ed McCaffrey and Mike Shanahan won a Super Bowl together in San Francisco. Shanahan was the 49ers' offensive coordinator when San Francisco recorded a 49-26 win over the Chargers in Super Bowl XXIX. Steve Young set a still-standing Super Bowl record that night with six touchdown passes.
25 years ago today, the Broncos won Super Bowl XXXIII.
— NFL Films (@NFLFilms) January 31, 2024
On Denver's sideline?
Mike and Kyle Shanahan along with Ed McCaffrey 🤯 @87ed pic.twitter.com/QPqKRab7KT
It's been 29 years since that game, and it remains the 49ers' most recent Super Bowl win. The 49ers are hoping to end that drought on Feb. 11 against the Kansas City Chiefs, the team the 49ers lost to the last time they made it this far.
The 49ers wouldn't be back in this position if they didn't trade for Christian McCaffrey prior to the 2022 trade deadline. Since that time, the 49ers have compiled a 26-7 record.
An All-Pro in Carolina, Christian McCaffrey's versatility and running style is a perfect fit in Kyle Shanahan's offense. He's become the NFL's most productive player with the ball in his hands. This season, he prove that by leading the NFL in rushing, catching 67 passes, scoring a touchdown in a record-tying 17 straight games and breaking Jerry Rice's single-season franchise record for touchdowns.
A win over the Chiefs would do a lot for both Shanahan and McCaffrey as far as legacies are concerned. McCaffrey would join Davis (1998) and Emmitt Smith (1992, 1993, 1995) as the only NFL rushing champions to win the Super Bowl. Shanahan and his dad would become the first father-son duo to win Super Bowls as head coaches.
