Christian McCaffrey Eyeing NFL History as Pass-Catching Tailback

Carolina Panthers rookie tailback Christian McCaffrey rushed a career-high 15 times for 66 yards and a touchdown and did his usual damage as a receiver, collecting five passes for another 28 yards in Sunday's game against the Atlanta Falcons.

McCaffrey's five catches Sunday boosted his rookie season total to 54 through the club's first nine contests. Should he record another eight in Week 10 against the Miami Dolphins, he would pass Reggie Bush for the most receptions by a rookie running back after 10 games in league history, per NFL Communications.

The Panthers selected McCaffrey eighth overall in the 2017 NFL draft after the 21-year-old accumulated 1,603 rushing yards and 13 touchdowns, as well as 37 grabs for 310 yards and another three scores in his final season at Stanford.

He profiled as a tailback that was nearly uncoverable as a pass-catcher out of the backfield, and that has held true early in his career. However, he's also carving out a role in the running game, evidenced by his 15 totes against the Falcons.

McCaffrey continues to split work with Jonathan Stewart in the Carolina backfield, but Stewart has very little guaranteed on his contract next season and it expires after 2018, likely resulting in an expanded workload for McCaffrey in future campaigns.

The Panthers have benefited from the two-back rotation as well, boasting a 6-3 record through nine games this season. McCaffrey and his teammates will put their two-game winning streak on the line Sunday when they welcome the Dolphins to Charlotte.