NFL: Where Does Christian McCaffrey Stand Among MVP Candidates This Season?

Carolina Panthers star Christian McCaffrey showed another reason why he deserves the MVP honors this season.

Playing only in his third year in the league, McCaffrey is already building his resume as being one of the top running backs in the league and certainly, one of the MVP candidates this season.

Despite being impressive this season, McCaffrey will compete against some of the NFL’s best talents. Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes has been more than eager to prove that his breakout 2019 campaign wasn’t a fluke. Evidently, Mahomes hopes to make another strong bid to repeat the honor he already achieved in the past..

Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson on the other hand, has marched his team into the thick of the playoff race after winning four out of the first five games of the season.

However, in Sunday’s game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, McCaffrey surprisingly added more boost to his MVP candidacy. In the said match, McCaffrey tallied both rushing and receiving touchdowns. The notable performance has made him the first player in Panthers franchise history to accomplish the said feat in back-to-back games.

It has also put the Panthers star on a career-best pace to topple what he did last year, where he recorded 1,965 total yards from scrimmage.

Reports claim that the Panthers’ game plan which allowed McCaffrey to make history in the franchise has been fueled by star quarterback Cam Newton’s nagging foot injury. As a result, McCaffrey has thrived in this expanded role during the Buccaneers game and has put together a career-best start through the first several weeks of the season.

The 23-year-old eighth overall pick in the 2017 NFL Draft was on the hot start this season. In fact, in the first five games, he notched more than 100 rushing yards three times, at least one rushing touchdown on four occasions, and 10 or more receptions twice.

He had his best outing of the year in Week 5 against the Jacksonville Jaguars, posting 176 rushing yards on 19 carries with two touchdowns, along with six receptions on nine targets for 61 receiving yards and a touchdown.

McCaffrey has been one of the most productive players in the league and a evidently a huge reason why the Panthers are in a position to make a strong push towards the playoffs. His impressive start also sets up an opportunity for him to separate himself as the clear-cut frontrunner to hoist the MVP award.