Less than one year into his fatherhood journey, San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey said his daughter, Colette, has already changed his entire worldview.
McCaffrey, 29, and his wife, Olivia Culpo, welcomed Colette, their first child, in July 2025.
In an exclusive interview with Us Weekly, the NFL star explained how being a dad has impacted all aspects of his life.
“It’s the best, man,” McCaffrey said via his partnership with Intuit. “Good day or bad day, you come home and seeing her smile takes all the pressure off. It takes all the worries of life away. It’s been the biggest blessing in our life.”
He added, “Watching Olivia become a mom has been so cool. We had [Colette] in July, which was right before training camp so I was kind of in go-mode and went through the whole season. There’s challenges that come with that. So, to now take a breath and be able to be a dad has been really, really fun.”
McCaffrey explained that figuring out parenting strategies with Olivia has been “effortless.”
“We have the same values in life, there’s never really any conflict when it comes to that stuff,” he said. “Obviously I can’t be there for most of the day, and she really does love it. As a girl dad, you definitely get softer. I don’t care what anyone says.”
In addition to spending more time with his family, McCaffrey is giving back to the Bay Area this offseason.
The superstar running back partnered with Intuit to host a Financial Literacy Forum for hundreds of high school students in the San Francisco area on Tuesday, February 3.
“It was so easy for me because I’m envious they get to do this,” McCaffrey said. “We didn’t have that in high school and I really wish that we did.”
Christian McCaffrey at the Super Bowl Financial Literacy Forum on Tuesday, February 3. Kelsey Albright
The forum was a partnership between Intuit, the NFL’s Inspire Change Initiative and the San Francisco 49ers Foundation.
“Giving back to high school kids, which is such a vulnerable time of anyone’s life, and being able to assist in that was easy and I was so excited to be here and do it,” McCaffrey said.
Not only was McCaffrey’s financial literacy an ignored subject in high school, he admitted he didn’t even pay attention to his bank account after being selected by the Carolina Panthers in 2017.
“When I first got drafted, I was so into football and being good and training,” he explained. “My dad always said, ‘The quickest way to lose your money is to spend your money.’ I was like, ‘Well, I’m not going to spend any of my money.’ I’m just going to put it away. I had a financial advisor.”
In the game of parenting, Olivia Culpo believes San Francisco 49ers football player Christian McCaffrey deserves the title of MVP. “I always knew he would be a really good dad because he’s a really good person,” Culpo, 33, exclusively shared with Us Weekly while celebrating her partnership with Heluva Good! Dips before Super Bowl LX. […]
McCaffrey signed a four-year, $17.2 million contract with the Panthers, which also came with a signing bonus of $10.7 million, when he was just 20 years old in May 2017.
“I was like, ‘Let’s be smart here, not do anything stupid,’” he said of his early playing days. “I didn’t really take any risks, [certainly] no big risks. Let me go play football. That’s what I did for the first few years, I just played football. I wasn’t very involved in my finances at all. And you know what? Rightfully so. I think when you’re younger and you’re playing in the NFL, you should be all in on football. I wouldn’t be so involved in investments and all these other things.”
McCaffrey continued, “I was all football, all the time. 24/7, that’s what I did. I’ve been very fortunate to have three contracts now. I have a routine. I understand what the offseason entails and when I can do X, Y or Z. Being able to develop relationships with people who are much smarter than me has been my biggest asset. Having access to people who have given me such great advice and shown me the ropes of the financial world.”
In June 2024, McCaffrey signed a two-year, $38 million contract extension with the 49ers.
