McCaffrey captures OPOY over Tyreek
San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey was named the 2023 Offensive Player of the Year on Thursday night.
McCaffrey - a first-team All-Pro this season - was one of five OPOY finalists along with Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott and wide receiver CeeDee Lamb, Baltimore Ravens signal-caller Lamar Jackson, and Miami Dolphins receiver Tyreek Hill.
McCaffrey ran away with the award, piling up 39 first-place votes and 222 points. Hill ranked second with 139 points (seven first-place votes).
The 49ers tailback led the NFL in several categories, including touches (339), rushing yards (1,459), scrimmage yards (2,023), and total touchdowns (21). McCaffrey, who joined San Francisco as part of a midseason 2022 trade, also averaged 5.4 yards per carry and scored at least one TD in 13 of the 16 games he played in 2023. He had five multi-touchdown appearances, including a four-score performance in Week 4.
Hill was the Offensive Player of the Year favorite for most of the season after finishing the campaign's first half on pace to top 2,000 receiving yards. However, the Dolphins superstar didn't reach the historic mark and missed a game due to injury. The All-Pro pass-catcher still led the NFL with 1,799 receiving yards and 13 touchdown catches on 119 receptions.
McCaffrey, Prescott, and Jackson were also finalists for the MVP award.
With quarterbacks dominating the MVP in the last decade, the OPOY award has mostly been awarded to skill-position players. New Orleans Saints receiver Michael Thomas, Tennessee Titans running back Derrick Henry, Los Angeles Rams wideout Cooper Kupp, and Minnesota Vikings pass-catcher Justin Jefferson were the NFL's most recent offensive players. Kansas City Chiefs superstar Patrick Mahomes was the last quarterback to win it, doing so in 2018.
McCaffrey can add another major trophy to his resume on Sunday in Super Bowl LVIII against the Kansas City Chiefs.