Who is the best player in the NFL in 2023? San Francisco 49ers Head Coach Kyle Shanahan believes it's his star running back, Christian McCaffrey. And it's hard to argue with him. McCaffrey has over 2,000 total yards from scrimmage this season (1459 rushing, 564 receiving), to go along with 21 touchdowns.
McCaffrey is the first 49ers player with over 2,000 scrimmage yards in a season since Frank Gore did it in 2006. Roger Craig did it in 1985 when he became the first player in NFL history to have 1,000 yards rushing and 1,000 yards receiving in the same season. Craig also surpassed 2,000 yards in 1988. Garrison Hearst did it for the 49ers in 1998.
On Friday, Greg Papa sat down with Shanahan, on the latest episode of NBC Sports Bay Area's "49ers Game Plan," and discussed, among other things, McCaffrey's impact on the 49ers offense this season. How good has McCaffrey been in 2023? Shanahan said the running back has been the best player in the NFL this season, and even went as far as to say McCaffrey has had the best year of any offensive player he has ever coached.
That is saying a lot, considering Matt Ryan won the MVP award under Shanahan in 2016. And wide receiver Julio Jones was on that team, as well. In 2015, Jones had a remarkable 136 catches for 1,871 yards under Shanahan. But what McCaffrey has done this season has been unmatched.
"He's had the best year as an offensive player that I've been a part of," Shanahan said. "It's been on a lot of good offenses and some years with some really good players, but Christian has been amazing in every facet we've asked him. I mean, when we throw him the ball, when we hand off the ball, when we give it to other people and he's got to block or just carry out being a distraction or a decoy, he's amazing.
"The durability he's had, how hard he goes, how hard he practices, how hard he prepares, which started way before the season started, really just after last season ended. Just the consistency, physically and mentally, of what he does is second to none."
Fans have been anxious at times throughout the season over how much McCaffrey has been used. The running back hates to come out of the game, so he's played a lot of snaps. And though he's dealt with some minor injuries this season, McCaffrey has been quite durable. He missed part of the game in Cleveland and will miss the finale against the Rams, though he said he could play if the team needed him to.
Shanahan added, "And honestly, you look at his stats and all that, and really nothing's been forced to him. I mean, nothing's ever been there to, like when you get a rushing title and stuff, you're usually finishing out some games, like just getting a lot of carries and things like that. When you get a lot of touchdowns, like he does, it's because you're usually a goal-line running back and you're always getting those all the time. And he does that most of the time we're there.
"But he scores from far out, too, and it's just for him to get the numbers he's had, the way he's done it is kind of unheard of. There's no doubt to me he's been the best player in the league this year for an offensive player. I know we talk about MVP, so I'll let the world decide about that, but it's truly special."
McCaffrey will win the 2023 rushing title, which is impressive on its own. But even more impressive is the fact that he has led the NFL in rushing from the very first week of the season to the final week. He's just been absolutely dominant. And he will likely be a finalist for NFL MVP, as well.
The 49ers have not had a rushing champion since 1954 when Hall of Famer Joe Perry led the league in rushing.