Saquon Barkley on Christian McCaffrey: 'He's one of the best to ever do it'

For as respected as Robert Saleh is as a defensive coordinator, the San Francisco 49ers have real limitations on that side of the ball. The key for the Eagles in Sunday's NFC Wild Card matchup at Lincoln Financial Field will be to limit Kyle Shanahan's offense. 

At the forefront of San Francisco's offense is running back Christian McCaffrey, who rushed for 1,202 yards during the 2025 regular season, while also hauling in 102 passes for 924 yards. McCaffrey was the Offensive Player of the Year in 2023, and while Seattle Seahawks' wideout Jaxon Smith-Njigba is the favorite for the award this year, the do-it-all running back will have some support as well. 

Ahead of the 49ers-Eagles postseason matchup, Saquon Barkley — the reigning Offensive Player of the Year — raved about McCaffrey. 

“I’m a fan of the position, and I study all of them: I give my hat off to him. He’s one of the best to ever do it, to be completely honest,” Barkley said, according to Zach Berman of The Athletic. “As a fan of the game, you’re definitely going to be watching and see what he’s doing. But just, there’s nothing he can’t do. He can run the ball, he can catch the ball. Literally, he’s an all-purpose back, probably one of the best all-purpose backs to ever do it." 

Saquon Barkley on Christian McCaffrey 👀

"I'd be lying if it weren't for a guy like Christian. I definitely do. We shot a commercial this season, and it started off cool, and then somehow or another, we were competing. One time in the Pro Bowl, it was Connect Four. After the… pic.twitter.com/KHWtzhC6PA

— 95.7 The Game (@957thegame) January 9, 2026

To their credit, the 49ers are just two weeks removed from a thrilling 42-38 win over the Chicago Bears on Sunday Night Football, and if that version of San Francisco's offense shows up at the Linc, the Eagles might be in trouble given their inconsistencies on offense this season. But against a stout Seattle defense in Week 18 — with the division title and NFC's No. 1 seed on the line — the undermanned 49ers lost 13-3. Brock Purdy and company may be getting back both left tackle Trent Williams (hamstring) and wide receiver Ricky Pearsall (knee, ankle), though it's fair to wonder how close to 100% either will be if they do indeed suit up. Regardless, Shanahan and company are going to need a massive performance from McCaffrey, who himself was on the injury report last week due to back discomfort, to upset the Eagles. 

Meanwhile, Barkley didn't come close to matching his iconic 2024 season in his second campaign with the Eagles, though two of his three 100-yard rushing performances on the season did come in December. Perhaps playing on the same field with McCaffrey will bring out the best in Barkley Sunday, in which case the Eagles will likely live to see another week.