The 49ers have a few players and coaches among the top five finalists for the AP NFL post-season awards. Highlighting that group are quarterback Brock Purdy and running back Christian McCaffrey, both of whom are finalists for the AP NFL MVP award. McCaffrey is also an Offensive Player of the Year finalist, while head coach Kyle Shanahan is among the top five vote-getters for Coach of the Year according to the AP’s Josh Dubow.
While Purdy’s MVP case derailed some on Christmas night when he tossed four interceptions in a game where MVP favorite Lamar Jackson played exceedingly well, it’s noteworthy that he was still one of the top five in voting. There were cases made in media that he didn’t deserve credit for what San Francisco was doing, but he was always going to garner MVP attention for putting up 4,280 passing yards, 31 touchdowns and 11 interceptions while completing 69.4 percent of his throws and averaging a league-high 9.6 yards per attempt. He was also the NFL’s highest-rated passer at 113.0. His MVP case is strong, but he’s not likely to win the award over Jackson.
