Christian McCaffrey Wins PFWA Comeback Player of the Year After Stellar 2025 Season
If there were any doubts about Christian McCaffrey’s ability to bounce back, he erased them all - one explosive play at a time.
The 49ers star running back was named the Professional Football Writers of America (PFWA) Comeback Player of the Year on Friday, a well-earned recognition after a season that saw him return not just to form, but to the top of the league.
Coming off a brutal 2024 season that included an Achilles injury in training camp and a season-ending knee injury in Week 13, McCaffrey didn’t just recover - he dominated. He started all 17 games in 2025, racking up 1,202 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns on the ground, while adding 102 receptions for 924 yards and seven more scores through the air.
That’s not a typo - 102 catches. As a running back.
His 924 receiving yards led all backs, and his 2,126 total yards from scrimmage ranked second in the entire NFL. That kind of production isn’t just rare - it’s historic. McCaffrey reminded everyone why he’s one of the most complete offensive weapons the league has seen in decades.
And as McCaffrey went, so did the 49ers.
San Francisco bounced back from a disappointing 6-11 record in 2024 to finish 12-5 in 2025, good enough for third in a competitive NFC West. They didn’t just make the playoffs - they made noise, knocking off the defending Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles in the Wild Card round before falling to the top-seeded Seattle Seahawks in the Divisional Round.
McCaffrey was the engine behind that turnaround. His blend of vision, burst, and versatility gave the 49ers offense a dynamic edge it sorely lacked the year before. Whether it was breaking off chunk gains on the ground or lining up out wide and torching linebackers in coverage, he was a matchup nightmare week in and week out.
With the PFWA honor, McCaffrey joins elite company in San Francisco franchise history. He becomes just the third 49er ever to win the award, alongside Garrison Hearst (2001) and Bryant Young (1999) - both of whom overcame major injuries to return to dominant form.
But McCaffrey’s 2025 campaign didn’t stop at Comeback Player of the Year. He also earned Pro Bowl and first-team All-Pro honors, and is a finalist for AP NFL MVP, Offensive Player of the Year, and Comeback Player of the Year - a trifecta that only Adrian Peterson (2012) and Joe Burrow (2024) have achieved in a single season.
That’s the level McCaffrey operated at this year. Not just "great for a guy coming off injury." Just flat-out great.
Nine seasons into his NFL career, McCaffrey has already built a résumé most players would dream of. But what 2025 proved is that he’s not just a star - he’s resilient, relentless, and still very much in his prime. He’s redefined what it means to be a modern-day running back, blending old-school toughness with new-school versatility.
And after everything he’s overcome, his latest accolade feels less like a comeback and more like a reminder: Christian McCaffrey is still one of the most dangerous players in football.