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San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan believes that Christian McCaffrey deserves more MVP buzz than he’s currently getting.
“Yeah, I think without a doubt,” Shanahan told the media on Friday when asked if McCaffrey is a candidate for the award (via Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk). “I know it goes to quarterbacks the majority of the time, and there’s plenty of worthy quarterbacks, but you definitely can’t say that Christian’s behind anyone.”
Christian McCaffrey, at 27 years old, has recorded a league-leading 939 rushing yards in 11 appearances this season, along with 389 yards as a receiver.
Moreover, McCaffrey has also scored 16 total times in 2023, the most of any skill player. He also tied an NFL record by recording a touchdown in 17 consecutive games. The streak began last season and continued until the 49ers’ 34-3 victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 10.
16th straight game with a scrimmage TD for @CMC_22, an NFL record! 👏…
He’s as valuable in this league as anyone,” Shanahan said, per Florio. While quarterback Brock Purdy has had an impressive first year as a full-time starter, throwing for 2,871 yards with a completion percentage of just over 70%, McCaffrey has helped spearhead the NFL’s seventh-best rushing attack.
The MVP trophy has traditionally been won by quarterbacks throughout the past few decades. 15 of the last 16 winners have been signal-callers, with Adrian Peterson’s 2012 award-winning campaign being the only exception.
Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts and Kansas City Chiefs’ signal-caller Patrick Mahomes are seen as two of the notable candidates this year, but they haven’t excelled in all facets of the game.
If the 49ers can finish with one of the best records in the NFL, McCaffrey will have a shot to be the first running back to take home the MVP award in over a decade.