We’ve seen it all along, even before he landed with the San Francisco 49ers.
Christian McCaffrey is the best running back in the NFL.
The former first-round pick and recently proclaimed two-time All-Pro does it all. McCaffrey led the league in rushing yards for the first time in his career. His 1,459 yards on the ground were the most of his career and 300 more than the next closest rusher.
However, he’s also been a featured performer in the passing attack. McCaffrey totaled 564 receiving yards in 2023, the fourth time in his career that he cracked the 500-yard barrier.
This is the brightest we’ve seen McCaffrey shine. With his team poised for another deep playoff run, now is the time to back McCaffrey as the Super Bowl MVP at +550.
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McCaffrey is carrying a lot of momentum into the postseason. He helped lead the 49ers to their second straight NFC West crown and third division title in five years.
It didn’t come easily for the Niners this year, but they came together at the right time. Including the regular season finale, in which San Francisco rested most of its starters, the Niners went 7-2 after their bye week. And a lot of the team’s success depended on McCaffrey’s contributions.
The Niners running back averaged 134.8 yards from scrimmage over his last eight regular season games, surpassing the century mark in all but one of those contests. The only time he fell below 100 yards was a decisive 27-10 win over the Washington Commanders, in which McCaffrey played only 54.3% of the snaps. Still, he reached 91 total yards in that contest.
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McCaffrey picked up exactly where he left off in the 49ers’ first playoff game. The Stanford product toted the ball 17 times for 98 yards, for 5.8 yards per carry. As expected, he was also a factor in the aerial assault, adding 30 yards on seven receptions.
More importantly, McCaffrey got all the glory for scoring two of San Francisco’s three touchdowns, including the go-ahead score with just over a minute left.
Consistently feeding McCaffrey is a hallmark of Kyle Shanahan’s game-planning. McCaffrey’s profile only gets bigger the further the 49ers march.
Although they barely survived a Divisional Round scare versus the Green Bay Packers, all signs point toward the Niners going on an extended run to end the playoffs.
San Francisco matches up well against the Detroit Lions in the NFC Championship Game and has the added advantage of playing at home. As expected, the 49ers opened as -7 favorites ahead of Sunday’s clash.
Moreover, the betting market has taken a firm stance on the Niners, installing them as prohibitive +145 chalk on the Super Bowl futures board.
If this team lives up to those expectations, McCaffrey will be lauded for his contributions. With all of the praise deserved.
The price on McCaffrey to win the Super Bowl MVP is only going down as we approach Super Bowl LVIII. The All-Pro running back consistently flaunts his value to his team, leading them to victory week after week. With the pool of contenders dwindling and the impact players falling off after every loss, it’s just a matter of time before all of the value is sucked out of this line.
McCaffrey might not get the recognition he deserves as league MVP, but if the 49ers win it all, there will be no denying him the distinction of Super Bowl MVP.
