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Christian McCaffrey Says He Had Less Than 30 Hours To Prepare For Madden Bowl Performance With Zach Bryan
Stepping up big time.
It’s safe to say that Super Bowl weekend had countless storylines. From Bad Bunny’s controversial halftime performance and Turning Point USA’s alternative halftime featuring Kid Rock, Lee Brice and more, to the subsequent reactions to both shows and the lackluster game itself, it’s been quite the past 24 hours.
Shockingly, one of the least controversial events of the weekend was none other than the Madden Bowl, which featured both Zach Bryan and Gavin Adcok on the same bill and marked the first time the pair would be at the same event since Bryan jumped a fence and attempted to fight the “Run Your Mouth” singer at Born & Raised Fest last September. With that being said, however, nothing came of it.
In case you’re not familiar with the event, it’s typically held during Super Bowl weekend and gathers the best Madden players around the country to compete in a tournament with a hefty $1 million prize. Originally, Luke Combs, along with Adcock, Teddy Swims, Stephen Wilson Jr. and rapper, LaRussell, were slated to perform during the Madden Bowl.
At the last minute, however, Combs, who was announced as a headliner, shared that he would be dropping out of his performance due to an undisclosed family obligation (most likely his wife, Nicole, is expecting their third child soon). Taking to X, he expressed that he was sorry to miss the event but stated that family comes first.
So sorry to miss y’all at Madden Bowl, but family always comes first. Have a great time. https://t.co/HXVTswkTR4
— Luke Combs (@lukecombs) February 5, 2026
In his place, the Madden Bowl pulled out all the stops and got Bryan to fill in Combs’ shoes. Unsurprisingly, he put on a stellar show for the attendees, and he also surprised fans by bringing along an old friend, joining forces with San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey.
Unlike most performances together, which typically featured the 49ers star joining Bryan for a song or two as they did at Red Rocks back in 2023, at the Madden Bowl, McCaffrey stepped up to become a full-fledged member of the band and performed the entire set.
McCaffrey’s appearance, ultimately, was a direct result of Bryan’s longtime friend and piano player, J.R. Carroll, missing the show due to the birth of his son, who was welcomed to the world in a joint Instagram post with his wife, Felicia, on Saturday.
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Despite Carroll being nothing short of an unsung hero in Bryan’s band (and a phenomenal artist in his own right), the star running back didn’t miss a beat while filling in for Carroll. As mentioned previously, he performed the entire set along with the “I Remember Everything” singer. Notably, he ripped an impressive solo on “Revival,” performed the intro for Bryan’s diamond hit, “Something in the Orange,” and provided some keys on the live debut of one of With Heaven On Top’s early hits, “Say Why.”
@zachbryanarchive
Christian McCaffrey played the keys during “Revival” at the EA Madden Bowl in San Francisco! #ZachBryan
♬ original sound – Zach Bryan Archive
@oklahomanoutlaw
Zach Bryan’s pianist couldn’t make it to the Madden Bowl so Christian McCaffrey filled in! #ZachBryan #ChristianMcCaffrey #MaddenBowl #zachbryanconcert #nfl
♬ original sound – Oklahoman Outlaw
@zachbryanlover_28
Zach Bryan preforms “Say Why” fot the first time at the Madden Bowl #zachbryan #zachbryanmusic #nfl #superbowl #maddenbowl
♬ original sound – ZachBryanLover28
After the concert, McCaffrey was asked by Bleacher Report about the performance. And in case you didn’t think that the 3x All-Pro running back’s performance was impressive enough, McCaffrey revealed that he had less than 30 hours to prepare for the show thanks to Carroll (rightfully) dropping out due to the birth of his son.
“It was a blast, man. Zach’s such a good dude. [I’ve] known him for years now. He hit me up about 30 hours ago and was like, ‘Hey, our keyboard player dropped out. You want to play keys?’ I was [like], ‘Zach Bryan asks you to play piano, you’re gonna do it.’ I was pumped up for it.”
Hilariously, the 4x Pro Bowler would note that he was practicing newer Bryan tracks in the back of his car at one point.
“Driving around this week, you’re so busy. There’s media stuff. All this is going on, so I got a keyboard in the back of my car. I was practicing in the car the whole day. It was a blast.”
By now, I think it’s pretty safe to say that McCaffrey is one of the most talented NFL players, both on and off the field.
Watch here:
@bleacherreport
Christian McCaffrey was PERFORMING with Zach Bryan #nfl #superbowl #superbowlLX #zachbryan #countrymusic
♬ original sound – bleacherreport – bleacherreport
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