The San Francisco 49ers’ season has been one of the most intriguing in the NFL in 2025, and the team has finally reached its bye week in Week 14, giving the roster a chance to recharge before the decisive stretch leading into a potential playoff run.
With the bye week serving as a seasonal turning point in the NFL, we decided to highlight which players would earn the 49ers’ internal individual awards if the season ended today.
Most Valuable Player – Christian McCaffrey, RB
Kyle Shanahan’s offense works much better when Christian McCaffrey is on the field, and his absence in the 2024 season proved that. In 2025, the entire 49ers offense runs through McCaffrey, and even though his yards per carry are not at their best, he makes up for it with volume and opportunity.
Ranked as the eighth-best running back of the season by PFSN RBi, he has recorded 237 carries for 849 yards and eight rushing touchdowns in 13 games, and he should surpass 1,100 rushing yards this year. Having played in every game this season, he helped carry the load while the team worked to get other offensive players healthy again.
Offensive Player of The Year – Christian McCaffrey, WR
See what I did there? Jokes aside, it is no exaggeration to say the 49ers have two players in one with McCaffrey. He is fourth in the league in receptions this season despite being a running back, and he has 806 receiving yards, leading the 49ers as a receiver. He is on track to surpass 1,000 receiving yards for the second time in his career.
The 49ers’ offense has been highly functional this season, but it lacks stars, and with George Kittle missing multiple games along with Ricky Pearsall and Jauan Jennings, McCaffrey ended up carrying all the spotlight. That explains why his numbers are so inflated — one award for each version we have seen from him this season.
Defensive Player of The Year – Ji’Ayir Brown, Safety
Perhaps the most surprising individual award for the 49ers this season. With the injuries to Nick Bosa and Fred Warner, the defense lost its leaders and found an unlikely hero in Ji’Ayir Brown over the past few weeks. Brown entirely took over the starting free safety job after being moved to the big nickel earlier in the year.
Even after disappearing early in the season, Brown earned his spot back, gained Robert Saleh’s trust, and saw the reward on the stat sheet against the Carolina Panthers, where he recorded two interceptions. He is only the 50th-ranked safety in PFSN SAFi, but his tape shows a player who changed San Francisco’s secondary.
Offensive Rookie of The Year – N/A
San Francisco does not have any offensive rookies seeing the field eligible for the award. Jordan Watkins never secured his spot due to injuries and has been inactive in most games, just like running back Jordan James. Junior Bergen is on the practice squad, and Kurtis Rourke is still recovering from injury — a disappointing class.
Defensive Rookie of The Year – Mykel Williams, EDGE
Mykel Williams’ promising season was cut short in Week 9 when he tore his ACL at the end of the game against the New York Giants, ending a year of significant development for the young edge rusher from Georgia. Even so, San Francisco got the answers it was looking for about the raw player it drafted.
Williams immediately improved the 49ers run defense, and although he was not making a major impact as a pass rusher, recording only one sack, his 19 pressures in nine games placed him as the second rookie with the most pressures through the first nine games, behind only Abdul Carter.
Protector of The Year – Colton McKivitz, RT
Colton McKivitz has been one of the biggest surprises of the 49ers’ 2025 season. Even though many fans do not like the player and pushed back against the three-year, $45 million contract San Francisco gave him, the reality is that he has become a steady contributor with fewer ups and downs than his teammate and legend, Trent Williams.
McKivitz is the third-best offensive lineman in the NFL in 2025, according to PFSN OLi, allowing only three sacks all season and a total of 25 pressures. He has proven to be a reliable piece for both Mac Jones and Brock Purdy, helping the offense remain one of the best in the league this year.
