The 49ers’ workhorse is back on track. Christian McCaffrey was announced as the winner of the 2025 AP NFL Comeback Player of the Year award at the NFL Honors presentation Thursday for his resurgent season. The San Francisco star running back finished with 31 first-place votes ahead of Detroit Lions defensive end Aidan Hutchinson, who received nine first-place votes. Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott (six) and Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence (two) also received first-place votes, along with Indianapolis Colts QB Philip Rivers and New Orleans Saints wide receiver Chris Olave with one apiece.  After missing 13 games last season, McCaffrey started all 17 games in 2025 for the 49ers. He missed the first eight games of the previous season with Achilles tendinitis and missed the final five with a PCL injury.  The 29-year-old running back returned to lead the NFL with 413 scrimmage touches and finished with the second-most scrimmage yards (2,126) in the 2025 NFL season. It was the second-most scrimmage yards in a season in his career, and the third time he finished over the 2,000-yard mark.  McCaffrey rushed for 1,202 yards on a career-high 311 attempts. He tallied 102 receptions in 2025, setting the single-season franchise record for a running back. With 924 receiving yards, he nearly became the first player with 1,000-or-more rushing and 1,000-or-more receiving yards in multiple seasons. McCaffrey becomes the fourth 49er to win the award, joining John Brodie (1965), Bryant Young (1999) and Garrison Hearst (2001). The award caps off a decorated season for McCaffrey, earning Pro-Bowl and First-Team All-Pro selections along with the Comeback Player of the Year award. Download and follow the 49ers Talk Podcast This story uses functionality that may not work in our app. Click here to open the story in your web browser. ...read more read less