Will the NFL crown a non-quarterback as its MVP this season for the first time since 2012? NFL Network's Peter Schrager believes so.
On Good Morning Football Wednesday morning, Schrager laid out why he is predicting that 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey will break the streak of 10 consecutive seasons of a quarterback winning the league's most prestigious award.
"The most valuable player of the 2023 season is going to be Christian McCaffrey", Schrager said. "I think the 49ers are the No. 1 seed in the NFC, and I think McCaffrey is the engine that drives them there.
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"If you are going to win MVP as a running back, you better run for 2,000 yards or go 1,000 and 1,000 with 100 catches. It's all possible for this dude. I got McCaffrey as the MVP of the league despite this being a quarterback award. You have to be that good, that historic, and I can see it in this offense.
"When it's all said and done by the end of the year, it's going to be undeniable. Yes, we love our quarterbacks; they can all go for the Offensive Player of the Year award. MVP? McCaffrey!"
The last non-quarterback to win the MVP was Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson, who eclipsed 2,000 rushing yards the season he won the award.
San Francisco 49ers
Last season, McCaffrey accounted for roughly 30 percent of the yards gained by the 49ers' offense after his midseason addition to the team. With an entire offseason to be integrated into the system, his production might increase even further in 2023.
The 49ers have not had an MVP since Steve Young won the award in 1994. Nearly thirty years later, McCaffrey could be next in line.