A quarterback has won the last 10 NFL MVP Awards, but NBC Sports Bay Area analyst Donte Whitner is convinced that streak ends this season.
"Christian McCaffrey will become the first non-quarterback to win the MVP award in over a decade," Whitner stated in the latest "Hitner's Hot Take" segment. "Adrian Peterson did it back in 2012 and he only had 13 total touchdowns. Well, Christian McCaffrey has seven touchdowns in only four games."
McCaffrey is making a very strong MVP case through the first four weeks of the 2023 NFL season.
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In the 49ers' 35-16 win over the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday at Levi's Stadium, McCaffrey had a 177 all-purpose yards -- 106 on the ground and 71 through the air -- along with three rushing touchdowns and one receiving.
Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovialoa, arguably the leader in the MVP clubhouse heading into Week 4, had a solid game against the Buffalo Bills, but coming out on the losing end of a 48-20 score put an early dent in his case for the award.
McCaffrey, on the other hand, leads the NFL with 459 rushing yards (Philadelphia Eagles running back De'Andre Swift is second with 369 rushing yards). With 141 receiving yards, the former first-round draft pick has an NFL-leading 600 all-purpose yards.
Over the last three-plus decades, the NFL MVP typically has been an award given to quarterbacks, but the running back position is the one group that has been able to break through, giving McCaffrey some hope.
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Lawrence Taylor was the last defensive player to win the NFL MVP in 1986. Since 1987, Thurman Thomas (1991), Emmitt Smith (1993), Barry Sanders (1997), Terrell Davis (1998), Marshall Faulk (2000), Shaun Alexander (2005), LaDainian Tomlinson (2006) and Peterson (2012) are the only non-quarterbacks to win the award.
McCaffrey is looking to add his name to that list based on how he's playing through four games.
The 49ers' offense has been humming this season with McCaffrey leading the charge. They are the first team in franchise history to start a season with four straight games scoring at least 30 points.
"He's the focal point of Kyle Shanahan's offense," Whitner said. "His ability to create matchup issues, catch the ball out of the backfield, run the ball between the tackles, create the explosive plays but also finish in the end zone is why Christian McCaffrey will win this year's MVP award."