49ers running back Christian McCaffrey will be trying to win the Super Bowl for the first time in his career on Sunday and he’ll go into the game as the NFL’s offensive player of the year.
McCaffrey, who is also a finalist for MVP, was the choice in voting conducted by the Associated Press. The other finalists were Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill, Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson, Cowboys wide receiver CeeDee Lamb, and Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott.
McCaffrey carried 39 first-place votes and was named on all 50 ballots. Hill finished second with seven first-place votes with Lamb and Jackson getting the remaining first-place votes. Lamb had one of them to Jackson’s three, but was named on 32 other ballots while Jackson was only named on 11. Jackson is expected to be named the MVP, which likely contributed to how many voters approached their ballots.
The 49ers traded for McCaffrey during the 2022 season and he scored 13 touchdowns in 13 games with the team. That turned out to be just a preview of what was to come in his first full year with the team.
McCaffrey scored touchdowns in each of the team’s first eight games and finished the regular season with 21 scores in 16 appearances. That tied Dolphins running back Raheem Mostert for the most in the league and McCaffrey was all by himself as the leader in rushing yards and yards from scrimmage.
All told, McCaffrey ran 272 times for 1,459 yards and 14 touchdowns and he caught 67 passes for 564 yards and seven touchdowns. He joins Joe Montana, Roger Craig, Jerry Rice, and Steve Young as 49ers players who have won the award and he’ll be hoping to join them as Super Bowl champions against the Chiefs.
