Kyle Shanahan, the head coach of the San Francisco 49ers, isn’t going to be duped into answering that difficult question, though. But Shanahan feels there’s only one option left: CMC, should Purdy or any other NFL quarterback fail to win the Associated Press NFL Most Valuable Player title at NFL Honors.
“I mean, are you trying to get me in trouble with those two guys?” When asked how to distinguish between McCaffrey and Purdy as MVPs since they are on the same squad on Wednesday, Shanahan provided a response via the team transcript. “That’s the only reason I wouldn’t overly comment on either one of them because I don’t want them to cancel each other out.”
Purdy has a much higher chance of winning MVP just because he’s a quarterback. Since 2012, when Adrian Peterson of the Minnesota Vikings earned the MVP award, no non-quarterback has received the honor. Peterson is the first non-quarterback to win the award this century, along with running back Marshall Faulk (2000; Rams).
But McCaffrey should be the one receiving recognition if it isn’t a signal-caller, according to his head coach.
“If any non-quarterback’s going to get an MVP, I don’t get how Christian McCaffrey can’t,” Shanahan stated. “He’s very fantastic at what he’s accomplished this year. I won’t need to bring up Christian if it’s going to a quarterback. I’m able to discuss our quarterback. That should settle it if all you see are his stats. The most crucial part, in my opinion, is that it becomes more stronger if you watch the movie.”
In a field that includes quarterbacks Dak Prescott of the Dallas Cowboys, Lamar Jackson of the Baltimore Ravens, signal-caller Tua Tagovailoa of the Miami Dolphins, and Tyreek Hill, a fellow Fin, among others, Purdy and McCaffrey both have strong arguments.
With 3,553 yards, 25 touchdowns, and only seven interceptions through his pass, Purdy leads the NFL in completion percentage (70.2), rating (116.9), QBR (74.7), and average yards per attempt (9.9). According to NFL Research, the latter is the greatest in a single season ever.
Regarding CMC, he leads the NFL in both running yards (1,177) and scrimmage yards (1,614), demonstrating his versatility and dynamic nature. As he continues to set the pace for a second consecutive 2,000-yard scrimmage season, his 17 scrimmage touchdowns rank second in the league and his 278 touches are the most.
Regarding CMC and his quarterback in the MVP race, Shanahan won’t call it, but he will undoubtedly call their numbers on Sunday. Along with helping the Niners become the first NFL club to secure a postseason berth this season, the two MVP front-runners can secure an NFC West title and advance their MVP campaigns this Sunday against the Arizona Cardinals.
