San Francisco 49ers’ running back Christian McCaffrey will win the NFL Offensive Player of the Year (OPOY) award. He should win the NFL Most Valuable Player award, but that honor seems like it’ll be going to his teammate Brock Purdy because that award has become the “Most Valuable Quarterback” award. This means that the Offensive Player of the Year award winner is essentially the best skill position player in the league. McCaffrey is the best player on the best team in football. Purdy, pass-catchers Deebo Samuel, Brandon Aiyuk, and George Kittle are all having great seasons. But McCaffrey is still the best offensive player on the 49ers.
Of course, McCaffrey isn’t going to win this award without competition Miami Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill was on track to go yard for yard with CMC but missed last Sunday’s game. Missing one game was enough for McCaffrey to become the clear frontrunner. And if McCaffrey misses a game? Hill can just as easily make up the same ground. The good news for Hill is that it’s unlikely that McCaffrey will even play in San Francisco’s Week 18 game against the Los Angeles Rams due to its insignificance for the 49ers’ playoff chances. Hill was on pace to hit the coveted 2,000-yard mark for receivers, which has never been done before in the history of the NFL. To hit the mark in the remaining two games? Hill would have to average…get ready…152.6 yards PER GAME.
The OPOY is Christian McCaffrey’s to Lose
Here are Christian McCaffrey’s statistics from this season:
- 1,292 Rushing Yards (1st) – Next Closest is Kyren Williams at 1,057
- 509 Receiving Yards (1st Among Running Backs)
- 1,801 Yards from Scrimmage (1st) – Next Closest is Tyreek Hill at 1,557.
- 128.7 Yards from Scrimmage Per Game (1st) – Next Closest is Hill at 119.8.
- 20 Total TDs (T-1)
- NFL Record 17 Straight Games with a Touchdown.
McCaffrey crossed the century mark on the ground back in Week 13, while Rams’ Running Back Kyren Williams was the only other one to cross the century mark just this week in the Rams’ win over the New Orleans Saints on Thursday Night Football. CMC is also just the 8th player in the history of the NFL to have 1,800+ total yards from scrimmage and 20 touchdowns through Week 15 of the NFL season.
The Bottom Line
McCaffrey has been the league’s best player on the league’s best team all season long. He SHOULD win the Most Valuable Player. But he WILL win the Offensive Player of the Year, assuming he doesn’t miss any time and continues to produce at his incredible level.
The only other contender for this award other than Hill and CMC is Philadelphia Eagles Wide Reciever A.J. Brown. However, he has cooled off in these last few weeks during the Eagles’ losing streak, which takes him out of the running. So in simple terms, Hill and McCaffrey are the only two contenders for the NFL’s Offensive Player of the Year award through 15.1 weeks of the NFL season.
Even though Miami’s Tyreek Hill deserves to be mentioned as a contender for the OPOY, the award will end up going to San Francisco’s Christian McCaffrey. This is due to a variety of reasons, but the most prominent being that McCaffrey has objectively been the best player in football this season. McCaffrey has produced at otherworldly levels and put up numbers that would make pro-Madden players blush. McCaffrey is the most dominant player on the league’s most (and only) dominant team. One thing is for certain in a turbulent NFL season. McCaffrey has locked up the OPOY.
Main Photo: Mark J. Rebilas – USA Today Sports
