David Gonzales-Imagn Images

49ers' Christian McCaffrey News Announced After Ninth NFL Season

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Nate Lunak | Last updated Jan 23, 2026 1:58 PM ET

Christian McCaffrey and the No. 6 seed San Francisco 49ers ended their season after a divisional round loss to the No. 1 Seattle Seahawks. They did pick up one playoff win, defeating the No. 3 Philadelphia Eagles on the road in the wild-card round.

Despite not winning the Super Bowl, the 49ers saw improvement. They went 12-5 in the regular season and finished in third place in the NFC West. It's a big step up after a fourth-place finish in 2024 while going 6-11.

McCaffrey was a big contributor to that success. He started all 17 games, rushing the ball 311 times for 1,202 yards and 10 touchdowns. He also had 102 receptions for 924 yards and seven touchdowns.

San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey.Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images

In 2024, the running back was limited to just four games. He had suffered an Achilles injury in training camp that kept him sidelined until Week 10, and then had a season-ending knee injury in Week 13.

On Friday, his bounce-back season earned a major accolade. It was announced that McCaffrey has been named the Professional Football Writers of America Comeback Player of the Year.

McCaffrey 2025 PFWA Comeback Player of the Year; Maye Most Improved Player of the Yearhttps://t.co/PFoUInfLvv pic.twitter.com/UweOiSyqfs
— Pro Football Writers (@PFWAwriters) January 23, 2026

The PFWA has given out a Comeback Player of the Year award annually since 1972. McCaffrey becomes just the third 49ers player to win it. He joins running back Garrison Hearst (2001) and defensive tackle Bryant Young (1999).

It adds to an already impressive season for the nine-year veteran, in which the running back has also earned a Pro Bowl and first-team All-Pro selection. He is also a finalist for AP Most Valuable Player, Offensive Player of the Year and Comeback Player of the Year.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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