The NFL is a quarterback’s league. The rules are designed to protect them, the paychecks are designed to spoil them, and the MVP trophy usually has a quarterback’s name engraved on it before the ballots are even cast. But every once in a while, a player comes along who is so undeniably electric, so vital to his team’s heartbeat, that the voters have no choice but to pay attention. Enter Christian McCaffrey.
The San Francisco 49ers’ Swiss Army knife didn’t just knock on the door of the MVP conversation this year; he kicked it down. The NFL and The Associated Press announced the finalists for the 2025 season awards, and McCaffrey isn’t just a footnote. He is a finalist for the AP Most Valuable Player, Offensive Player of the Year, and Comeback Player of the Year.
That is not a typo. It’s a hat trick of recognition that underscores just how absurd his 2025 campaign truly was.
McCaffrey Crashes the Quarterback Party
When the winner is announced at the NFL Honors on February 5 in San Francisco, McCaffrey will be sitting in a room full of signal-callers. The other MVP finalists, Matthew Stafford (Rams), Drake Maye (Patriots), Josh Allen (Bills), and Trevor Lawrence (Jaguars), all play the position you expect to see here.
But McCaffrey’s inclusion speaks volumes. When a non-quarterback cracks this list, it usually means they didn’t just have a “good year.” It means they dragged their team to wins, put the offense on their back, and made defensive coordinators lose sleep. For the 49ers, who finished 12-5 and took down the Eagles in the Wild Card round before falling to Seattle, McCaffrey was the engine, the transmission, and the fuel.
The Numbers Behind the Dominance
If you had McCaffrey on your fantasy team this year, you probably won your league. If you rooted against him, you probably threw your remote at the TV. His stat line for the 2025 regular season reads like something out of a video game on rookie mode.
In 17 games, McCaffrey posted:
- Rushing: 1,202 yards and 10 touchdowns on 311 attempts.
- Receiving: 924 yards and 7 touchdowns on 102 catches.
- Total Scrimmage: 2,126 yards and 17 total touchdowns.
We aren’t just talking about a guy who runs well between the tackles. We are talking about a player who caught over 100 passes. That’s more than most WR1s in this league. He racked up 413 total touches. That is a heavy workload, the kind that grinds most players into dust. Instead, McCaffrey seemed to get stronger as the game clock ticked down.
Look at Week 7 against the Falcons: 201 total yards and two scores. Or Week 9 against the Giants, where he casually dropped 173 total yards and found the endzone twice. He was the safety valve for the quarterback and the nightmare for the linebacker.
A Comeback Story With Real Grit
While the MVP nod is the headline grabber, the Comeback Player of the Year finalist spot might be the one that hits closest to the heart.
It’s easy to forget now, watching him hurdle defenders and sprint away from safeties, but McCaffrey’s future wasn’t always this certain. After missing 13 games the previous year due to a devastating Achilles injury, there were whispers. Can he handle the load? Has he lost a step? Is he done?
Rehab is a lonely, grueling place. It’s early mornings, painful sessions, and the mental battle of trusting your body again. McCaffrey didn’t just come back to play; he came back to dominate. He is up against guys like Stefon Diggs and Dak Prescott for the CPOY award, but nobody redefined their team’s identity post-injury quite like Christian.
The Competition for Offensive Player Of the Year
If the MVP voters decide to stick with the “Quarterback Award” tradition, Stafford and Maye make compelling cases; McCaffrey has a massive shot at Offensive Player of the Year.
However, the NFC West is well-represented here. He’s going toe-to-toe with Rams wideout Puka Nacua and Seahawks receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba, who led the league with a staggering 1,793 receiving yards. Bijan Robinson of the Falcons is also in the mix.
But here is the argument for the 49ers star: Versatility. JSN catches passes. Robinson runs the rock. McCaffrey does everything short of selling popcorn in the stands.
What This Means For the 49ers
The 49ers’ season ended with a tough loss to the Seahawks in the Divisional round, leaving fans with the usual offseason questions. Who is the new defensive coordinator? Are we upgrading at receiver?
But this announcement serves as a reminder of what San Francisco has in the backfield. They have a generational talent playing at the peak of his powers. Kyle Shanahan, who is also a finalist for Coach of the Year, knows exactly what he has.
Regardless of whether McCaffrey walks away with hardware on February 5, he has already won the respect of the league. He proved that in an era of passing dominance, a running back can still be the most valuable player on the field.
