Just about everyone agrees that Patrick Mahomes of the Kansas City Chiefs is the best quarterback in the NFL and already an all-time great. Those same people would also likely agree that one of Justin Jefferson, Tyreek Hill or CeeDee Lamb is the best wide receiver in the game.
But none of them won last season’s Offensive Player of the Year award. Instead, it went to San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey.
Just about everyone knows how much of a powerhouse McCaffrey is when carrying the football on the ground. But what makes him truly unique is his ability to catch passes, and that ability goes beyond most other dual-threat tailbacks.
While addressing McCaffrey’s recent contract extension, Mina Kimes said on ESPN’s “NFL Live” that “there is no one like” McCaffrey in the entire league, citing how he does multiple things at a very high level.
There are several running backs in the league who are adept at catching screen passes and turning them into net yards. But McCaffrey can actually line up as a wide receiver, run routes and even add yards after the catch, making him a truly invaluable weapon in head coach Kyle Shanahan’s offense.
As Kimes pointed out, McCaffrey also blocks for his teammates at a high level. In San Francisco, if a player doesn’t block when he isn’t getting the ball, he will get held accountable.
In 2023, he ran for 14 touchdowns and a league-high 1,459 yards while adding 564 yards and seven touchdowns off of 67 catches.
Before the 49ers landed McCaffrey in a trade with the Carolina Panthers midway through the 2022 season, they were a contender that mainly won with defense but had an anemic running game. Their lackluster ground game made their passing attack too easy to defend.
But McCaffrey’s arrival made them much more dynamic and unpredictable offensively, and it almost seems like he was specifically designed for Shanahan’s offensive system.
Of course, the Niners narrowly lost in the Super Bowl to the Chiefs last season. But going into the 2024 campaign, plenty feel they at least have a great chance of finally capturing their sixth Vince Lombardi Trophy, and some oddsmakers have them as the favorites to do just that.
Christian McCaffrey’s extension is reportedly worth $38 million over two years and will run through the 2027 season.
If the San Francisco 49ers win the world championship this coming season or soon afterward, there is a very real chance he will end up being named Super Bowl MVP. That would make him a truly one-of-a-kind player in a historical context and not just in the present tense.
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