“The sauce of championships”: Steve Young compares 49ers’ Christian McCaffrey to Ricky Watters

Ricky Watters played four seasons with the San Francisco 49ers (1991-94) and was a big reason why the team won its fifth Super Bowl championship during the 1994 campaign. After that season, the 49ers allowed Watters to leave for the Philadelphia Eagles, where the running back had three consecutive seasons of 1,550 or more total yards.

The production didn’t change in Watters’ next three seasons with the Seattle Seahawks, where he continued that streak. It wasn’t until 2001, his final year in the league, that Watters failed to surpass 1,000 yards rushing and 1,550 total yards.

Steve Young often regrets the 49ers’ decision not to prioritize the return of Watters after the team’s last Super Bowl championship. The Hall of Fame quarterback wonders if more titles might have been possible had Watters’ career in San Francisco been extended.

The 49ers traded for Christian McCaffrey on October 20, sending a haul of draft capital to the Carolina Panthers for the running back. On Sunday against the Los Angeles Rams, McCaffrey proved it was a smart trade, registering eight receptions, 149 scrimmage yards (94 rushing, 55 receiving), and three total touchdowns (one passing, one rushing, one receiving) in the 49ers’ 31-14 win. As a result, he was named the NFC Offensive Player of the Week for the first time in his career.

Young joined KNBR on Wednesday and was asked to compare the 49ers’ newest star running back to Watters.

“Ricky was bigger, and so he could run people over,” Young shared on the Tolbert & Copes show. “… Christian is twitchier, right? He’s more Lamar Jackson. Like, he can make you … you just miss. Ricky was more fluid. But we all underappreciated him when he was with us. And then, when he was gone, I’m like, ‘Oh my gosh, was he great.’ And that’s just one of those stupid mistakes that we all make when you don’t appreciate people that are close to you.

“But both of them, super talented, and really, to me, are the sauce of championships. Christian McCaffrey and Ricky Watters are the kind of things that create a championship … that’s how you go win them. So that’s why I’m pretty excited about it.”

Having a player like McCaffrey on the roster can elevate everyone else’s play. It can also create frustrating matchups for opposing defenses, especially once the 49ers start getting players back from injuries.

“Deebo’s not even healthy,” Young said of Sunday’s game against the Rams. “… Deebo’s watching. What I love about the Christian McCaffrey add, it’s kind of like adding double because of his preparation and his ability to recognize the blitz. He can be that extra quarterback in the huddle.”

Young added, “Christian’s so prepared, memorizes every week, ‘Tell me more, Coach. Give me more. I want more.’ And then everyone around him is going, ‘Should I be asking for more?’ Yeah, if you want to keep your job. That just raises everybody. It sets the bar. … Guys like Christian McCaffrey do not allow you to just go through the motions, and that really helps week to week.”

You can listen to the entire conversation with Young below.

Listen: Click here to listen on Omny.fm