Running back Christian McCaffrey might fall just short of notching an unprecedented second season in which he tallied both 1,000 rushing yards and 1,000 receiving yards, a feat he achieved back in 2019 with the Carolina Panthers, becoming only the third player in NFL history to do so.
With 890 receiving yards on the season, CMC would need a monster game in Week 18 when the San Francisco 49ers host the Seattle Seahawks.
While that's possible, McCaffrey is closing in on another equally impressive accolade: having three or more seasons of 100-plus catches, a feat for which he'd only need four on Saturday night.
Should he achieve that, the NFL's leader in touches (399) should put himself squarely not only the voting for Offensive Player of the Year but also in the MVP conversation.
And it's an argument that's gaining more and more steam.
Christian McCaffrey can put himself squarely in the middle of MVP conversation
For the last decade-plus, the NFL MVP award has been a quarterbacks-only accolade.
Understandable, given the focus on the position and the pass-happy nature the league has adopted since the mid-2010s. In fact, the last time a non-quarterback was named MVP was back when Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson received the award for his efforts in 2012.
McCaffrey was in the discussion back in 2023 when he tallied 2,023 all-purpose yards en route to an Offensive Player of the Year award.
However, some are arguing voters should toss the "QB only" mantra for MVP votes out the window this go-around, including ESPN's Peter Schrager, who feels McCaffrey needs to get some attention for the honor if he ends up having a monster game in the Niners' regular-season finale against the Hawks:
Peter Schrager says Christian McCaffrey belongs in the MVP conversation:
— Coach Yac 🗣 (@Coach_Yac) January 1, 2026
“If the 49ers win and Christian McCaffrey goes bananas against the #1 defense in the league — the Seahawks, you better believe there’s gonna be MVP voters saying 'you know what, screw it, when it mattered… pic.twitter.com/o8QCinLphS
"If the 49ers win and Christian McCaffrey goes bananas against the No. 1 defense in the league, the Seahawks, you better believe there’s gonna be MVP voters saying 'you know what, screw it. When it mattered most, McCaffrey was the guy,'" Schrager declared.
While quarterbacks like the Buffalo Bills' Josh Allen and the New England Patriots' Drake Maye have done aplenty to solidify claims to MVP honors, McCaffrey's "most valuable" efforts could help redefine what it means to be an MVP overall.
Perhaps it no longer has to be a quarterbacks-only award now.