49ers RB Christian McCaffrey nominated for two ESPYS

San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey continues to rack up awards and nominations for his 2023 NFL season. The reigning NFL Offensive Player of the Year, and new Madden 2025 cover man, has been nominated for two ESPYS, the awards handed out each year by ESPN. McCaffrey, the NFL's leading rusher last season, has been nominated for the following:

• Best Record-Breaking Performance for scoring a touchdown in 17 straight games.
• Best NFL Player for his 21-touchdown season in which he amassed 2,023 yards from scrimmage.

In 16 regular season games, McCaffrey rushed for 1,459 yards and scored 14 touchdowns. And if that wasn't enough, he added 564 yards receiving on 67 catches, and another seven touchdowns. The 49ers star running back was dominant statistically, but even more than that, he changed the 49ers offense. In addition to giving the team an even more dynamic rushing attack, McCaffrey adds a dimension to the passing game that few running backs do. He runs crisp routes, has excellent hands, and can score from anywhere on the field.

In the same way that running backs before him, like Roger Craig, Marcus Allen, Marshall Faulk, and LaDainian Tomlinson created mismatches for their offense, McCaffrey is a safety net for his quarterback and can take a short dump off for a big gain. It's impossible to overvalue the importance of a running back who can also be a threat in the passing game.

Former Chicago Bears great, Mike Singletary, speaking about Craig, said, "You had to prepare for Roger because you didn't know how he was going to beat you, out of the backfield, as a blocker, up the middle. He was a mismatch..." The same can be said for McCaffrey. You have to prepare well because he can beat you in multiple ways. He's a mismatch.

And what can we say about his NFL record of 17 straight games scoring a touchdown? That's an incredible accomplishment. Is McCaffrey the best player in the NFL? He might be. And even if he's not, it's hard to find a bigger mismatch.

The 2024 ESPYS will air July 11 at 8 p.m. ET on ABC. Fans can vote at the ESPYS page of the ESPN website.

• Marc Adams
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