The San Francisco 49ers are so stacked that they have three legitimate MVP candidates in Brock Purdy, Deebo Samuel, and Christian McCaffrey, with the latter being the best candidate of all.
Some could argue that Trent Williams should also deserve some consideration and rightfully so, but the league giving this award to an offensive lineman is unlikely.
Whatever the case, we’ve seen how the MVP award has often been a quarterback’s only award.
Just a handful of non-QBs have been able to hoist the trophy, putting McCaffrey in a tough spot.
Nonetheless, legendary RB Barry Sanders recently took to Twitter to state that there’s still a chance that McCaffrey will have to split the MVP with a quarterback (via Dov Kleiman).
Hall of Famer #Lions RB Barry Sanders weighs in on Christian McCaffrey winning MVP:
“I do think there is a shot Christian will split it with…”
This happened to Barry Sanders in 1997 when he was made co-MVP with Brett Farve.
That year, Sanders rushed for 2,053 yards through… https://t.co/9BLUyqJNAT pic.twitter.com/vL0DHNsoQ2
— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) December 27, 2023
Sanders pointed out the fact that the league made him split the MVP award with Brett Favre, even though he had rushed for 2,053 yards in 16 games.
Needless to say, McCaffrey’s rushing numbers aren’t anywhere near as impressive (1,395 rushing yards), although he’s added 537 rushing yards and is accountable for 21 total touchdowns through 15 games thus far.
At the end of the day, it would be nice to see someone from a different position get some praise and recognition and win the award, as the league hasn’t even considered defensive or skill players for years now.
At least, we can all rest assured that McCaffrey will continue to put up these kinds of numbers for years to come, so maybe he’ll fulfill Sanders’ prediction at some point in his career.
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