Christian McCaffrey just got huge recognition from the league’s most prominent awards group.
The NFL and The Associated Press announced McCaffrey as a finalist for AP Most Valuable Player for the 2025 season, putting the San Francisco 49ers running back in the same MVP group as quarterbacks Josh Allen, Trevor Lawrence, Drake Maye and Matthew Stafford.
According to the AP, McCaffrey is the first player in NFL history to be a finalist for three awards in the same year: MVP, Offensive Player of the Year and Comeback Player of the Year.
The winners will be revealed at NFL Honors on Thursday, Feb. 5 at the Palace of Fine Arts in San Francisco, airing at 9 p.m. ET on NBC and NFL Network, with streaming on Peacock and NFL+.
Christian McCaffrey Is Also a Finalist for Two More AP Awards
McCaffrey didn’t just land in the MVP conversation.
He’s also a finalist for AP Offensive Player of the Year and AP Comeback Player of the Year, making him the rare player to show up in three major AP categories in the same season.
San Francisco also got a coaching nod: Kyle Shanahan is a finalist for AP Coach of the Year, another sign the 49ers were firmly on the league’s radar in 2025.
The Numbers Behind McCaffrey’s MVP Case
McCaffrey’s finalist status is easy to understand when you look at the workload and production.
In 17 games, he finished with:
- 311 rushing attempts, 1,202 rushing yards, 10 rushing TDs
- 102 catches, 924 receiving yards, 7 receiving TDs
- 2,126 yards from scrimmage and 17 total touchdowns
- 413 total touches (carries + receptions)
He also had several “put the offense on my back” performances that became a weekly storyline.
On the NFL.com game log, McCaffrey posted:
- Week 7 vs. Falcons: 129 rushing yards and 2 TDs, plus 72 receiving yards (201 total yards)
- Week 9 at Giants: 106 rushing yards and a rushing TD, plus 67 receiving yards and a receiving TD (173 total yards, 2 TDs)
- Week 17 vs. Bears: 140 rushing yards (plus 41 receiving) as San Francisco won a shootout
When a non-quarterback gets into the MVP finalist group, it usually means he wasn’t just productive; he was central to everything his team did.
What It Means for the 49ers Heading Into NFL Honors
The 49ers went 12-5 and made the playoffs, beating the Philadelphia Eagles 23-19 in the Wild Card round before falling to the Seattle Seahawks 41-6 in the Divisional round.
That context matters because MVP talk is often tied to “team story,” and McCaffrey was clearly a driving force behind San Francisco’s turnaround and postseason run.
One extra detail fans may not realize: the AP awards are voted on by a 50-member media panel, and votes are submitted before the playoffs using a weighted voting system (implemented in recent years).
So when McCaffrey shows up as a finalist, it’s a strong indicator of how he was viewed league-wide during the regular season, not just after the postseason headlines.
The news comes at a great time, as fans have begun asking classic offseason questions about the 49ers. Who is going to be the new defensive coordinator? Will the team upgrade its wide receivers? Fans have even wondered if Christian McCaffrey is going to leave the 49ers.
There’s nothing in the NFL/AP awards release that suggests any kind of exit, trade request, or team decision on McCaffrey’s future, it’s strictly about award finalists. If anything, being a finalist for MVP, Offensive Player of the Year, and Comeback Player of the Year reinforces how central he was to San Francisco’s season.
49ers Get Major AP MVP Finalist News