In his first full season with the San Francisco 49ers, Christian McCaffrey posted arguably the best numbers of his career. His performance earned him a Pro Bowl, first-team All-Pro honors, and his first career NFL Offensive Player of the Year Award. Let’s review McCaffrey’s 2023 numbers to see how he got there.
Christian McCaffrey’s 2023 Stats
It took seven years, but finally, one of the best offensive players the sport has ever seen has captured Offensive Player of the Year honors. So, how did he do it?
Once pegged as injury-prone, McCaffrey has now played in 33 of his last 34 games. The only game he missed was a meaningless Week 18 game this past season, a game in which the 49ers rested their starters anyway.
Of course, staying healthy isn’t enough to win Offensive Player of the Year. McCaffrey played every game in his legendary 2019 season when he amassed 2,392 yards from scrimmage on 403 touches. Both of those numbers were league-high numbers. He also scored 19 touchdowns. Yet, he merely finished third in Offensive Player of the Year voting.
While perhaps unfair to the player, McCaffrey was likely punished for being on a bad Carolina Panthers team. What he did on the field was incredible, but NFL awards are often given to players who do incredible things on teams that matter. In 2023, McCaffrey’s first full season with the 49ers, he was able to do just that.
Similar to in 2019, McCaffrey led the league in touches (339), yards (2,023), and touchdowns (21). Overall, only his touchdown count was higher than his 2019 marks.
In fact, McCaffrey’s role as a receiver was the most limited of his career. He caught 67 of 83 targets for 564 yards. His 4.2 receptions and 35.3 receiving yards per game were both career-low numbers.
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On the ground, it was a different story. McCaffrey carried the ball 272 times for a career-high 1,459 yards, leading the league in total rushing. His 5.4 yards per carry and 91.2 rushing yards per game were both also career highs.
Widely considered the best receiving back in the game, and indisputably one of the best pass-catching running backs of all time, McCaffrey’s first Offensive Player of the Year Award came in a year where he was primarily used as a runner.
The 49ers having an elite offense certainly played a part. In San Francisco, McCaffrey is significantly more efficient than he was in Carolina. That’s what happens when he gets to play alongside Brock Purdy, George Kittle, Brandon Aiyuk, and Deebo Samuel. Opposing defenses had to account for other talented offensive players, giving McCaffrey more room to operate.
Overall, while McCaffrey’s numbers may not be as elite as past winners, he is very much deserving of his first career Offensive Player of the Year Award.
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