Christian McCaffrey is now an MVP contender

Christian McCaffrey is simply a class above any other running back in the NFL and it is showing in the 2023 NFL season. "CMC" is only one of three NFL running backs to ever put up 1,000+ yards on the ground and through the air in NFL history.

The Carolina Panthers dedicated their entire playbook and game plan to accommodate McCaffrey, and the San Francisco 49ers are now getting the most out of him too.

The three years of glory between 2016 and 2019 were simply beautiful, but injuries started to show up and they just would not disappear. Christian McCaffrey played only 16 games in his last three years with the Panthers, and he was traded to the 49ers where it has been a match made in heaven.

McCaffrey's 13 consecutive games with a touchdown is a franchise record for the San Francisco 49ers, who had a certain Jerry Rice in the past. Against the Arizona Cardinals, "CMC" recorded 177 total yards, 71 of which were through the air, showing just how much Purdy trusts his check-down to his running back.

The hurdle on the second touchdown McCaffrey scored was a thing of beauty, and there is no other player who can do what he can.

Christian McCaffrey now has 459 rushing yards, and 6 touchdowns on the ground, which is almost a hundred yards clear of D'Andre Swift in second place. That's not all, as he has 141 receiving yards and got that first receiving touchdown against the Cardinals.

Adrian Peterson was the last running back to win the MVP award, after recording 2,097 rushing yards and 217 yards receiving in the 2012 season. Peterson averaged 6 yards per carry in 2012, and McCaffrey is averaging 5.7 per attempt this year.

"CMC" is already halfway to the 12 touchdowns that Peterson scored in 2012, and yes the extra game has to be taken into consideration, but McCaffrey could get 20 rushing touchdowns in 2023.

We are almost a quarter of the way through the 2023 season and San Francisco's No. 23 is the frontrunner for the award.

Christian McCaffrey's 49ers have the most cap room in the NFL

Christian McCaffrey - Arizona Cardinals vs. San Francisco 49ers

Looking at the 49ers roster, their $44 million worth of cap space is surprising, given how strong they are. They are $10 million clear of the Cleveland Browns in that metric, and much of that is due to their quarterback, Brock Purdy. His four-year rookie deal is worth just over $3.7 million, which makes for an interesting dynamic. Obviously, if he keeps playing this well, Purdy will be offered a new deal soon.

While the majority of the other NFL powerhouses have to pay monstrous fees to their quarterback, the 49ers don't. For reference, several backup quarterbacks like Will Grier and Mason Rudolph are earning more per year than Brock Purdy.

Christian McCaffrey is earning remarkably little in 2023 ($1.08 million base salary, a restructure bonus of $10.72 million and a workout bonus of $200 thousand), before the money rolls in from next year. "CMC" and the Panthers agreed upon $64 million over four years prior to his trade to the 49ers.

With the debate ongoing about running backs' pay, there is no discussion whatsoever with McCaffrey, as he is truly irreplaceable.