There's an excellent argument San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey should be in the discussion for yet another Offensive Player of the Year award after tallying 2,126 all-purpose yards on a league-high 413 touches en route to yet another first-team All-Pro selection.
Meanwhile, there's another argument that McCaffrey should land another coveted honor, the 2025 USAA Salute to Service Award.
Earlier this year, tight end George Kittle proverbially "handed the torch" over to McCaffrey on behalf of the Niners, who nominated the dual-threat running back after Kittle received the award the previous year for his work within the military community.
Interestingly enough, Kittle might have a say whether or not CMC receives the award over the other two finalists: Minnesota Vikings running back Aaron Jones Sr. and Dallas Cowboys tight end Jake Ferguson.
That's because Kittle is one of the panelists to determine the winner, as shared to Niner Noise by USAA's public relations partner:
- Major General (Ret.) Bob Whittle, USAA Senior Vice President, Head of Military Affairs and Army veteran
- George Kittle, San Francisco 49ers tight end and 2024 Salute to Service Award recipient
- Chad Hennings, Air Force Academy graduate and three-time Super Bowl champion
- Jim Mora, Sr., Marine Corps veteran and former NFL head coach
- Christina Dorfler, NFL Chief Financial Officer and Army veteran
As for McCaffrey, USAA wrote up the following describing the running back's service off the field and for the greater military community:
Christian McCaffrey’s commitment to the military community stems from a deep respect for service and a belief in supporting mental and physical wellness. Through the Christian McCaffrey Foundation, he honors and empowers veterans, especially those in Special Operations, with holistic health resources.
23 and Troops, the foundation’s flagship initiative, launched in 2021 and focuses on healing from post-traumatic stress using athlete-level care. McCaffrey advocates for veterans to be treated as athletes and receive the same elite treatment. The foundation has invested nearly $700,000 in military support, including $250,000 to REBOOT Recovery for trauma healing and another $250,000 to Resilience Code for personalized medical care.
The foundation also paid off holiday layaway balances for 515 military families. McCaffrey also actively participates in Salute to Service, connecting with active-duty members, veterans, and Gold Star families, and showcases 23 and Troops through the league’s My Cause My Cleats initiative.
For more information on the NFL's USAA Salute to Service Award, be sure to click here.
The winner of the prestigious award will be announced at the NFL Honors show on Feb. 5 in advance of Super Bowl 60.