The 49ers’ locker room is unique.
Although there is a lot of star power on the roster, there is no dominant voice, personality, or ego that makes the team what it truly is. On Sunday, after San Francisco clinched the NFC’s No. 1 playoff seed with a first-round bye and home-field advantage, Christian McCaffrey explained why this group is so special.
“I love this team. I love this team so much. We have a lot of guys with the right attitude. It’s a really fun team to be on,” McCaffrey said. [We have] People with the right mindset. I think when you turn on the tape, everyone’s characters are reflected on the tape.
“Everyone holds each other to the same standards and holds themselves to the same standards. It’s a really fun team to be a part of.”
There’s no question that the 49ers have good players on their roster who earned record-breaking contracts to stay in the Bay, but the mindset is truly team-oriented, and that’s what general manager John Lynch and coaches Starting with Kyle Shanahan.
The players at the top of the depth chart at each position provide the best examples. If a player doesn’t try as hard as the star players, they usually don’t stay in Santa Clara because they are the exception rather than the rule. The openness and maturity of the locker room may come as a surprise to players coming from other teams, but not to players drafted and developed by Shanahan and Lynch.
For raw players, it’s normal to see front office support and involvement firsthand. For veteran safety Logan Ryan, it’s special.
Ryan joined the 49ers before their Week 14 win over the Seattle Seahawks, forming the second depth after Talanoa Hufanga suffered a season-ending knee injury. The former third-round draft pick doesn’t think the warm reception he received during the season is unusual, but the 49ers are unique in another way.
“There’s a lot of star players who don’t have egos,” Ryan said. “Your star players are the hardest workers. Your star players are the kindest people in the building, and that’s what makes them special. There are a lot of like-minded, competitive championships. [mentalities], but everyone is kind and selfless to everyone around the building. That’s when you get special teams. ”
McCaffrey is known as an incredibly disciplined worker, and the work ethic he exhibits is comparable to every player at his level in the 49ers’ locker room.
“I think what makes it even more special is the characters you see on tape. We have some players who are talented, talented and have the right mindset. We have a lot of those players. I think so,” McCaffrey said. Selfless players, playing without the ball, blocking, performing fakes, whatever it is.
“When you have a lot of talented players who are team-oriented, it’s a lot of fun to play together.”
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