Christian McCaffrey’s 2025 campaign has been nothing short of spectacular. The 49ers’ star running back is a finalist for three of the NFL’s most prestigious individual honors: MVP, Offensive Player of the Year, and Comeback Player of the Year. That kind of recognition speaks volumes about the kind of season McCaffrey had - a do-it-all force in Kyle Shanahan’s offense, powering San Francisco to the top of the NFC.
But when ESPN’s Adam Schefter posted that McCaffrey was “believed to be the first player in NFL history” to be a finalist for all three awards in the same season, fans were quick to hit the brakes - and bring the receipts.
Turns out, McCaffrey isn’t the first to hit that triple-finalist milestone. Joe Burrow pulled it off just last season.
And Adrian Peterson? He did it back in 2012, the year he won MVP and Offensive Player of the Year while finishing second in Comeback Player of the Year voting.
So, while McCaffrey’s achievement is elite company, it’s not unprecedented.
Social media didn’t waste time setting the record straight. Within hours, X (formerly Twitter) added a community note under Schefter’s post, correcting the claim and citing both Peterson and Burrow as previous triple-finalists. It was a rare public correction for one of the league’s most prominent insiders - and fans weren’t shy about pointing out the irony.
One viral post summed up the frustration with tongue-in-cheek precision: “ESPN is able to find the last time a QB threw for 325+ yards, 3 TDs, no turnovers, rushed for 60+ yards on fewer than 5 attempts, never held a lead until the final drive, and did it all in -5 wind chill. But CMC is ‘believed to be’ the first. C’mon now.”
Another fan chimed in with a sharp reminder: “Adrian Peterson won MVP, OPOY, and finished 2nd in CPOY in 2012. Nice tweet tho.”
It’s not just about the stats - it’s about the platform. With millions of followers and a reputation as a go-to source for NFL news, Schefter’s posts carry weight.
Several replies pointed out that with that kind of reach comes responsibility. “He has too big of a platform to put misinformation out like this,” one fan wrote.
“Definitely not the first time either.”
Some fans even referenced Schefter’s recent criticism over unrelated comments last month, suggesting this latest misstep added fuel to an already simmering fire.
Still, the bigger story here isn’t a social media correction - it’s McCaffrey’s remarkable season. Whether or not he’s the first to be a finalist for all three awards, the fact that he’s in the running for MVP, Offensive Player of the Year, and Comeback Player of the Year underscores just how dominant he’s been. He’s been the engine of the 49ers’ offense, a matchup nightmare for defenses, and a consistent playmaker week in and week out.
The NFL Honors show will air on February 5 from the Palace of Fine Arts in San Francisco, with NBC and NFL Network broadcasting the event at 9 p.m. ET. McCaffrey will be there - as he should be - with a real shot at walking away with hardware.
As for the rest of the field, oddsmakers currently like Matthew Stafford for MVP, Jaxson Smith-Njigba for Offensive Rookie of the Year, and Myles Garrett for Defensive Player of the Year. But no matter how the votes shake out, McCaffrey’s season has already earned its place in the conversation - and in the record books, even if not for being the first to pull off the triple-finalist feat.
Bottom line: McCaffrey’s in rare air. And whether he wins one award or all three, he’s already reminded us just how special he is when healthy and unleashed in the right system.