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SAN FRANCISCO – As long as Christian McCaffrey is on the field, he will show.
The San Francisco 49ers star running back was the only non-quarterback to be an MVP finalist and was also in the running for his second Offensive Player of the Year Award in three years after posting 2,126 scrimmage yards and scoring 17 total touchdowns.
In most cases, that shouldn’t surprise anyone, but given McCaffrey’s devastating 2024 season, in which he missed 13 games due to Achilles tendinitis and a knee injury, “what if” was in the conversation.
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Kyle Juszczyk of the San Francisco 49ers and Christian McCaffrey of the San Francisco 49ers celebrate after McCaffrey’s touchdown reception in the first quarter against the Cleveland Browns at Cleveland Browns Stadium on October 15, 2023 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
“Yeah, you know, I think last year was tough. There was a lot of uncertainty for me the whole offseason, just working extremely hard day and night to try to get back to where I needed to be,” McCaffrey told Pakinomist Digital on Radio Row. “I really just thank God. I feel very fortunate that I played in every game. You know, that’s something I never take for granted anymore. And I feel blessed to be able to come out of the season healthy.”
McCaffrey became just the second player ever to be nominated for MVP, Offensive Player of the Year and Comeback Player of the Year in the same season. He was also voted by fans as one of FedEx’s Air & Ground Players of the Year.
“This is a cool award. Voted on by the fans, which makes it really cool, and it’s been going on for 23 years now, so it’s one of the longest running NFL awards. So I’m super grateful,” McCaffrey said. “They also give $15,000 to Feeding America, a local food bank here in San Francisco. So, you know, to get an award, to be able to give back a little bit, it’s pretty cool.”
San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey celebrates after scoring against the Arizona Cardinals in the first half of an NFL football game Sunday, Dec. 17, 2023, in Glendale, Arizona. (AP Photo/Matt York)
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McCaffrey won Comeback Player of the Year Thursday night because of last year’s injuries and this year’s rousing success. Given his age, many worried that it was the beginning of the end.
McCaffrey was admittedly nervous too, but it’s not exactly a new feeling for him.
“I’ve been worried since I was in high school. Most of my mindset is just worrying. You know, part of what drives me is just, you know, that anxiety of not living up to my potential or not being able to play. So that’s definitely something that’s always in my head in a transparent way,” McCaffrey said. “But I think that’s the beauty of training. When that’s how you start, and then you train and train and train and do all the things you can to get to where you want to be, that will instill confidence, you know what? I trust my training. I know I can do this now. Feel good about where I’m at.”
San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey, right, celebrates his touchdown with offensive tackle Trent Williams during the first half of an NFL football game against the Los Angeles Rams, Sunday, Sept. 17, 2023, in Inglewood, California. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)
McCaffrey will be 30 years old when he plays meaningful football again, but after nearly another 1,000-1,000 yard season, there isn’t much to worry about.
