There’s been a lot of debate on who should win the NFL’s coveted MVP award for the 2023 season and on his latest Let’s Go! podcast, Tom Brady weighed in. Surprisingly, the former signal-caller didn’t name a quarterback and picked 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey, his podcast guest this week, as the league’s most valuable player.
“I remember the first time I actually got a glimpse of Christian was in the Rose Bowl,” Brady said. “He caught an angle pass against Iowa and ran for about a 75-yard touchdown. I was like, ‘Well, they’re not gonna catch him.’ He was a dynamic player then. He is a dynamic player now, and I think all of what he’s done this year is a lot what he’s done in the past. It’s a different team with some different opportunities and they’ve been really dynamic on offense.
“So he is definitely in my mind the MVP favorite and according to his quarterback too, Brock Purdy, who says some amazing things about him,” Brady continued. “And I know you’ll say, because you’re a great team player, the Super Bowl is the only thing that really matters. With the offseason that the running backs have, do you kind of feel like an award like that would be pretty nice?”
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McCaffrey used the opportunity to say how good it felt to get the attention as running backs struggle to get money they believe they deserve, but he went on to say he doesn’t get too wrapped up in individual awards. That being said, the three-time All-Pro is having one of his best seasons yet.
Through 14 games this season, he’s already tallied 1,809 yards from scrimmage and 20 total touchdowns, making him a serious contender for the award. The last running back to be named league MVP was Adrian Peterson after the 2012 season. Since then, a quarterback has won the award every single year.
