49ers' Kyle Shanahan: Christian McCaffrey Deserves NFL MVP if QB Doesn't Win Award

San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan tried to remain diplomatic while stating an MVP case for running back Christian McCaffrey.

"If any non-quarterback's going to get a MVP, I don't get how Christian McCaffrey can't," he said Wednesday. "I mean, he's amazing in what he has done all year. If it's going to a quarterback, then I don't have to talk about Christian. I can talk about our quarterback. If his numbers is all you see, then I think that solves it up. But, if you watch the film, then it makes it even stronger, which to me is the most important thing."

McCaffrey is leading the NFL in rushing yards (1,177), and he has caught 52 passes for 437 yards and five touchdowns. The two-time Pro Bowler has been a catalyst for one of the league's best offenses.

As Shanahan alluded to, however, the NFL MVP Award has almost become a quarterback-exclusive honor. Adrian Peterson was the last non-QB to win, and that was back in 2012. All Peterson needed to do was be at the time the seventh running back ever to run for 2,000 yards in a season.

Pointing to the positional trends also provides Shanahan with some useful cover considering he has two worthwhile candidates.

Niners quarterback Brock Purdy (+185) is hot on the heels of Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott (+150), who's the betting favorite to win MVP at DraftKings Sportsbook.

Purdy has thrown for 3,553 yards and 25 touchdowns while boasting the NFL's highest completion percentage (70.2). Were he to win, it would be much more than a case of the award simply going to the starting quarterback on the best team.

For Shanahan, he can appease Purdy and McCaffrey by pointing to the MVP voters' recent preferences while calling the latter the best non-QB in the field.

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