Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images
The 49ers were poised to score on their opening drive, but a rare mistake by the NFL’s Offensive Player of the Year derailed things.
It was looking like a brilliant start to the Super Bowl for San Francisco 49ers star running back Christian McCaffrey, but he left possible points on the field with a lost fumble deep in Kansas City Chiefs’ territory.
Second-year linebacker Leo Chenal stripped the NFL’s Offensive Player of the Year, and fellow second-year player George Karlaftis II was on the spot for the recovery.
Up until that point, McCaffrey picked up 28 yards on his first three touches, carving through the Chiefs on the ground and through the air.
It’s only the third lost fumble of McCaffrey’s season, and it’s the first time we’ve seen an opening drive turnover in the Super Bowl in five years.
Christian McCaffrey’s fumble is the first turnover on a team’s opening drive of a Super Bowl since Tom Brady’s interception against the Rams in Super Bowl LIII (2018 season), per @ESPNStatsInfo
— Ed Werder (@WerderEdESPN) February 11, 2024
Luckily for McCaffrey, the Chiefs offense failed to capitalize on the takeaway, going three-and-out on their opening possession. It’s still a missed opportunity for the 49ers to take an early lead against the defending champions.
