GLENDALE, Ariz. – Even before the 49ers' 45-29 victory over the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday at State Farm Stadium, there was talk of MVP awards surrounding both Brock Purdy and Christian McCaffrey.
Purdy completed 16 of his 25 attempts for 242 yards and a whopping four touchdowns in his native Arizona, but he still doesn't believe he deserves the award.
“I think Christian should be MVP,” Purdy said after the game. “I really believe that. He does everything for us. Runs the ball well, can catch the ball, he does everything. In my eyes this is the MVP.”
McCaffrey finished the game with 18 carries for 115 yards and a touchdown, while also catching all five of his targets for 72 yards and two receiving scores. The All-Pro leads the league with nearly 1,300 yards rushing, an average of over 92 yards per game and 1,801 yards from scrimmage.
After the game, Trent Williams refused to pick which of his teammates was more deserving of the honor.
“I know you don’t ask me that question,” Williams said with a laugh. “You might as well choose the next one.”
In the 2023 NFL season, Purdy has completed 268 of his 384 attempts for 3,795 yards and 29 touchdowns, giving him a 69.7 percent completion rate in 14 games. Purdy also leads the league in most metrics for a quarterback, including touchdown percentage, yards per attempt and passer rating.
“It means the offense is playing really well,” Williams said. “We have the best running back in the NFL. I think he deserves consideration for MVP, and that goes for Brock as well. Brock worked his ass off.
“For him to come into the conversation as a teammate, I couldn’t be more proud of those two guys.”
The last time a non-quarterback won the NFL MVP was in 2012, when then-Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson took home the honor. This season, Peterson passed the ball for a league-high 2,097 yards and scored 12 rushing touchdowns while averaging 131.1 yards per game.
However, Williams and the rest of the locker room have their sights set on a greater honor than MVP, and that's a trip to Las Vegas in February.
“My job is to continue to try to help them succeed, and who cares,” Williams said. “As long as we can bring this trophy back to Santa Clara, that’s all I’m worried about.”
Purdy, ever humble, is on the same side as his left tackle.
“I'm honored, but I think I have a great team around me and guys that are ready to make plays,” Purdy said. “I'm trying to do my part to help the team win. It’s an honor to hear it, but I think we only have one MVP team overall.”