The San Francisco 49ers are well represented among the finalists for this year's Associated Press NFL awards. Head coach Kyle Shanahan was named one of five finalists for AP Coach of the Year, while star running back Christian McCaffrey is a finalist for three major honors: AP Most Valuable Player, AP Offensive Player of the Year, and AP Comeback Player of the Year.
Despite navigating significant injuries across the roster, Shanahan guided the 49ers to a 12-5 regular-season record and a playoff berth. San Francisco's postseason run included a statement win over the defending Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles before ending in the Divisional Round with a loss to the Seattle Seahawks.
McCaffrey's nominations cap off a dominant 2025 season following an injury-shortened 2024 campaign in which he appeared in just four games. Fully healthy this season, the All-Pro running back started all 17 games and led the NFL with a career-high and league-leading 413 touches, totaling 2,126 scrimmage yards and 17 touchdowns.
The award winners will be announced at NFL Honors on Thursday, February 5, at the Palace of Fine Arts in San Francisco. Jon Hamm will host the event, which will air live at 6 p.m. PT / 9 p.m. ET on NBC and NFL Network, with streaming available on Peacock and NFL+.
Below is the list of AP NFL awards and announced finalists.
AP Most Valuable Player
- Josh Allen, QB, Buffalo Bills
- Trevor Lawrence, QB, Jacksonville Jaguars
- Drake Maye, QB, New England Patriots
- Christian McCaffrey, RB, San Francisco 49ers
- Matthew Stafford, QB, Los Angeles Rams
AP Coach of the Year
- Liam Coen, Jacksonville Jaguars
- Ben Johnson, Chicago Bears
- Mike Macdonald, Seattle Seahawks
- Kyle Shanahan, San Francisco 49ers
- Mike Vrabel, New England Patriots
AP Assistant Coach of the Year
- Vic Fangio, Philadelphia Eagles
- Brian Flores, Minnesota Vikings
- Vance Joseph, Denver Broncos
- Klint Kubiak, Seattle Seahawks
- Josh McDaniels, New England Patriots
AP Comeback Player of the Year
- Stefon Diggs, WR, New England Patriots
- Aidan Hutchinson, DE, Detroit Lions
- Trevor Lawrence, QB, Jacksonville Jaguars
- Christian McCaffrey, RB, San Francisco 49ers
- Dak Prescott, QB, Dallas Cowboys
AP Defensive Player of the Year
- Will Anderson Jr., DE, Houston Texans
- Nik Bonitto, LB, Denver Broncos
- Myles Garrett, DE, Cleveland Browns
- Aidan Hutchinson, DE, Detroit Lions
- Micah Parsons, DL, Green Bay Packers
AP Offensive Player of the Year
- Drake Maye, QB, New England Patriots
- Christian McCaffrey, RB, San Francisco 49ers
- Puka Nacua, WR, Los Angeles Rams
- Bijan Robinson, RB, Atlanta Falcons
- Jaxon Smith-Njigba, WR, Seattle Seahawks
AP Defensive Rookie of the Year
- Abdul Carter, LB, New York Giants
- Nick Emmanwori, S, Seattle Seahawks
- James Pearce Jr., DE, Atlanta Falcons
- Carson Schwesinger, LB, Cleveland Browns
- Xavier Watts, S, Atlanta Falcons
AP Offensive Rookie of the Year
- Jaxson Dart, QB, New York Giants
- Emeka Egbuka, WR, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- TreVeyon Henderson, RB, New England Patriots
- Tetairoa McMillan, WR, Carolina Panthers
- Tyler Shough, QB, New Orleans Saints
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