PFN Names Obvious 49ers Player to Win NFL CPOY Award

This 49ers player has been named as the top candidate on the team to win the NFL Comeback Player of the Year award.

Jun 11, 2025; Santa Clara, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey speaks to the media following a team OTA at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: D. Ross Cameron-Imagn Images | D. Ross Cameron-Imagn Images

The obvious choice is usually the easiest choice.

And that is exactly what Pro Football Network did when they named Christian McCaffrey as the top San Francisco 49ers player to win the NFL Comeback Player of the Year award.

"The San Francisco 49ers dealt with several key injuries in their 2024 season from hell. Brandon Aiyuk, Javon Hargrave, Talanoa Hufanga, and Jordan Mason were all among those who missed time due to injury. In the end, perhaps no absence was as impactful as that of Christian McCaffrey," wrote PFN analyst Jacob Infante.

"After winning Offensive Player of the Year with 2,023 scrimmage yards and 21 total touchdowns in 2023, McCaffrey played just four games in 2024. Injuries have been an issue for him before, as he played just 10 games from 2021 to 2022. However, he's an elite running back and will be a strong Comeback Player of the Year contender if healthy."

There is no other player on the 49ers who is a more obvious and choice to win the Comeback Player of the Year. The award typically goes to a player who missed significant time to injure the year before.

McCaffrey meets that criteria, and if you throw in the fact that he is an aging running back, it sets him up perfectly to win the award in 2025.

He has a choice to prove he is still an elite player. If he gets anywhere close to his 2023 version, he will have a strong case to win the award.

However, that is an enormous "if" for him. Can he play almost every game? And can he still play at a high level?

McCaffrey may be the obvious top candidate to win the award on the 49ers, but he still has a long way to go to be a finalist.