Christian McCaffrey Finally Accepted a deal over $76.5 to depart from …
Last season, Christian McCaffrey won the Offensive Player of the Year Award and finished third in the MVP voting — one spot ahead of Brock Purdy. McCaffrey was the engine of the 49ers offense, the player every team built their game plan to stop. Can he repeat his outstanding performance this year?
The oddsmakers think he will.
McCaffrey currently is the odds-on favorite to repeat as the Offensive Player of the Year, according to BetUS, which gives McCaffrey +700 odds to win the award. Tyreek Hill has +800 odds, Justin Jefferson has +900 odds, CeeDee Lamb has +900 odds and Ja’Marr Chase has +1200 odds. So McCaffrey is the only running back who seems to have a legitimate chance to win.
And if McCaffrey stays healthy, there’s no reason to think he won’t win, because the 49ers give him the ball so much. He led the NFL in touches last season with 339, or 21.2 per game. Then in the playoffs, the 49ers have him 78 touches, or 26 per game. He was both their leading rusher and their leading receiver in the postseason. Because when the pressure mounts, Kyle Shanahan leans on McCaffrey. Every time.
Unfortunately for McCaffrey, in June he’ll turn 28, which is a bit old for a running back. The odds are against him making it through another full season uninjured at his age, especially considering how much the 49ers use him. Winning back-to-back Offensive Player of the Year Awards would be impressive but ultimately unlikely.
