National Football League

Who’s the 49ers' MVP? Ranking the 5 players Niners can’t live without

Published Dec. 6, 2023 3:08 p.m. ET

Riding a four-game winning streak and coming off a blowout of the Philadelphia Eagles, the San Francisco 49ers look like the Super Bowl favorite as they prepare to host the Seattle Seahawks at Levi's Stadium on Sunday (4:05 p.m. ET on FOX and the FOX Sports app). The 49ers have so many impact players, it's hard to single out a team MVP.

"I still pinch myself," Pro Bowl tight end George Kittle said about all the talented players on the roster. "I was actually in the hot tub with Christian [McCaffrey] and Chase Young. And I was like, ‘This is wild.' Absolutely crazy."

Added edge rusher Nick Bosa: "Nobody needs to be the guy. There's 20 guys who can be the guy, and it just depends on when the moment comes and that you're ready for it."

But when that moment comes, who couldn't the team live without? Taking into consideration positional importance, production, game-changing ability and their overall impact, we rank the top five MVP candidates on a roster littered with talent. To build the suspense, let's start at No. 5.

5. Edge Nick Bosa

The reigning Defensive Player of the Year, Bosa led the league last season with 18.5 sacks. He was handsomely rewarded right before the start of this season, receiving a multi-year deal that made him the highest paid non-quarterback in the NFL.

Bosa hasn't put up the sack numbers he had last year, but he has started to heat up during the second half of the season — when the games matter most. Over San Francisco's four-game win streak, Bosa leads the league in quarterback pressures (30) and is second in sacks (5). He is third in the league in quarterback pressures (71) and has eight sacks on the year.

More importantly, he's the No. 1 matchup problem on a talented defensive line that allows the 49ers to control the line of scrimmage and sets the table for the rest of the unit. San Francisco allows 15.8 points per game, No. 2 in the NFL.

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4. LT Trent Williams

Like Bosa does for the defense, the 35-year-old Williams sets the tone offensively up front for San Francisco. Just look at the numbers.

According to Next Gen Stats, the 49ers have rushed for a league-high 983 yards running to the left side, where Williams does his work. Plus, per Pro Football Focus, the All-Pro left tackle has not allowed a sack this season.

There's a reason San Francisco's three-game losing streak coincided with Williams being out with an ankle injury — he makes things happen up front for the offense.

3. RB Christian McCaffrey

The Stanford product tops the NFL this season with 1,032 rushing yards and 12 rushing touchdowns. McCaffrey's 17 total touchdowns are tied for second in franchise history. According to Pro Football Focus, he has forced 48 missed tackles, the most at the running back position this season.

McCaffrey quickly developed into the engine of the Niners offense after San Francisco acquired him from the Carolina Panthers at midseason last year. This season, he is worthy of league MVP consideration, along with the No. 1 player on this list.

"I know it goes to quarterbacks the majority of the time, and there's plenty of worthy quarterbacks," coach Kyle Shanahan said. "But you definitely can't say that Christian's behind anyone. He's as valuable in this league as anyone."

One of the keys for McCaffrey this season has been his availability. After struggling to stay healthy during his time in Carolina, he has played 80.6% of the offensive snaps this year, first among running backs.

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2. WR Deebo Samuel

Yes, he has missed time with a shoulder injury and has only 750 scrimmage yards with seven touchdowns. But when Samuel is healthy and playing with swagger, San Francisco's offense is different.

Just look at Samuel's three touchdowns and 138 scrimmage yards in the big win over the Eagles. He talked trash leading up to the game and backed it up on the field, giving San Francisco an added edge. And Samuel's ability to score from anywhere on the field makes the 49ers one of the most dangerous offenses in the NFL.

If Samuel can get back to playing like he did during his All-Pro season of 2021, when he finished with 1,770 scrimmage yards and 14 touchdowns, San Francisco could be Super Bowl-bound. His explosive playmaking ability makes the 49ers hard to beat.

But Shanahan must keep the oft-injured "wide-back" out of the training room for the rest of the regular season and healthy when the playoffs start. And that likely means limiting his touches over the next five games.

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1. QB Brock Purdy

Some NFL observers understandably attribute Purdy's success to Shanahan's quarterback-friendly offense, but it's hard to deny the second-year QB's production and ability to make plays in critical and meaningful moments this season.

In fact, Purdy deserves to be part of the league MVP conversation. He leads the league in passer rating (116.1), completion percentage (70.2%) and yards per pass attempt (9.6). He's No. 4 in the NFL in touchdown passes (23).

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Purdy has put to rest the idea that he's just a system quarterback, and he has proven that his rookie year wasn't a fluke. Even more impressive, he has accomplished this production coming off major elbow surgery.

"Brock is just so consistent every day," Kittle said earlier this season. "He's the same guy on Wednesday as he is on Sunday. He's super detailed. He's super confident. It's everything you want in a quarterback, and he's just playing at such a high level right now."

Honorable mention: Brandon Aiyuk, Fred Warner, George Kittle, Dre Greenlaw, Javon Hargrave

Eric D. Williams has reported on the NFL for more than a decade, covering the Los Angeles Rams for Sports Illustrated, the Los Angeles Chargers for ESPN and the Seattle Seahawks for the Tacoma News Tribune. Follow him on Twitter at @eric_d_williams.