When it comes to NFL families, the McCaffrey clan is considered one of the most athletically gifted families. With Ed McCaffrey’s historic career as a wide receiver for the Denver Broncos and his son, Christian McCaffrey, dominating the running back room in San Francisco, comparisons are inevitable. But when it came to their speed, Hall of Fame tight end Shannon Sharpe had a bold claim. 

“Just for FYI, Ed is faster than his son,” Sharpe claimed on Club Shay Shay. “He ran a faster 40 than his son.” 

Sharpe’s guests scoffed at that claim. Even the official stopwatches tell a different story. At the 2017 NFL Scouting Combine, Christian clocked 4.48 seconds in the 40-yard dash. His younger brother, Luke, edged past him with a 4.46-second finish in the same year. Max McCaffrey became the fastest of the three with 4.36 seconds in Duke’s Pro Day in March 2016. However, Ed accepts he never ran a 4.36. 

“Max is faster than me,” Ed told USA TODAY Sports back in 2016. “I’m not afraid to admit it. He’s always been fast. Speed is something I always worked on really hard. He does have some God-given speed and I think that will serve him well.

“That’s flying, man. I certainly never ran anything close to that. But Christian’s pretty darn fast, too. You should see them when they compete. It’s crazy. They both go at it. They train hard. They are both really fast. They get their speed from their mother, not from me. But I’m glad they have it.” 

Beyond the 40-yard dash debate, Sharpe’s comments highlighted a deep appreciation for Ed McCaffrey. They were the receiving corps back in the 1990s and won Super Bowls XXXII and XXXIII together. Sharpe appreciated the fact that McCaffrey Sr. didn’t complain when he got only one pass in some games, even though it would’ve bothered him. 

Meanwhile, Christian McCaffrey is building his own legacy as a dual-threat running back.

Over nine years in the NFL, the San Francisco 49ers star has rushed for 7,589 yards to score 62 touchdowns, and caught 626 passes for 5,390 yards to score 36 touchdowns. That’s almost close to Ed McCaffrey’s record of receiving 565 passes for 7,422 yards in 13 years. His father’s impressive accomplishments certainly don’t diminish the 49ers star’s incredible career trajectory. 

Ultimately, the McCaffrey name continues to represent excellence on the gridiron. Whether it is Ed’s selfless route-running for championship teams or Christian’s dual-threat production, the family has certainly produced some of the fastest talents in football. In Sharpe’s defense, he was commenting on what he saw from Ed and not what the numbers proved.