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SAN FRANCISCO – As long as Christian McCaffrey is on the field, he will excel.
The San Francisco 49ers star running back was the only non-quarterback to be an MVP finalist, and he was also in the running for his second Offensive Player of the Year Award in three years after racking up 2,126 yards from scrimmage and scoring 17 total touchdowns.
In most cases, that shouldn’t surprise anyone, but given McCaffrey’s devastating 2024 season, when he missed 13 games due to Achilles tendinitis and a knee injury, the “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 receiving touchdown during 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 all offseason, I just worked extremely hard day and night to try to get back to where I needed to be,” McCaffrey told Pak Gazette Digital on Radio Row. “I really thank God. I feel very lucky to have played in every game. You know, that’s something I don’t take for granted anymore. And I feel blessed to be able to come out of the season healthy.”
McCaffrey became the second player 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 the FedEx Air and Ground Players of the Year.
“This is a cool award. Voted for by the fans, which makes it really cool, and it’s been going on for 23 years, so it’s one of the longest running awards in the NFL. So I’m very grateful,” McCaffrey said. “They’re also donating $15,000 to Feeding America, a local food bank here in San Francisco. So to receive a prize and be able to give back a little is great.”
San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey celebrates after scoring against the Arizona Cardinals during the first half of an NFL football game on Sunday, December 17, 2023 in Glendale, Arizona. (AP Photo/Matt York)
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McCaffrey won the Comeback Player of the Year award Thursday night given last year’s injuries and this year’s great success. Given his age, many feared it was the beginning of the end.
It’s true that McCaffrey was nervous too, but that’s not exactly a new feeling for him.
“I’ve been worrying since I was in high school. Most of my mindset is just worrying. You know, part of what motivates me is that, you know, that anxiety of not reaching my potential or not being able to play. So, that’s definitely something that’s always in my head transparently,” McCaffrey said. “But I think that’s the beauty of training. That’s always how you start, and then you train and train and train and do everything you can to get to where you want to be, which will instill confidence in you, you know what? I trust my training. I know I can do this now. I feel good about where I am.”
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 on Sunday, September 17, 2023 in Inglewood, California. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)
McCaffrey will be 30 years old when he plays meaningful football again, but after almost another 1,000-1,000 yard season, there’s not much to worry about.
