Christian McCaffrey was far and away the front runner for Offensive Player of the Year heading into Week 6. It was easy to see why as he led the league in touches (119), yards from scrimmage (679), rushing yards (510) and total touchdowns (8) at the time.
The do-it-all running back was off to another incredible performance in Week 7 against the Browns, but was forced to leave that game early with oblique and rib injuries. NFL fans waited with bated breath in the coming days as he underwent an MRI, and let out a sigh of relief when head coach Kyle Shanahan announced the results were “encouraging.”
Now, after fearing the worst, McCaffrey will suit up a mere eight days after suffering the injury as the 49ers take on the Vikings on Monday Night Football.
So, why hasn’t he reclaimed his status as the Offensive Player of the Year front runner?
That’s an excellent question considering he doesn't appear likely to miss any time. Tyreek Hill leads the pack with consensus odds of +115. Meanwhile, McCaffrey is second at +190.
It's a two-man race as we approach the midpoint of the season with A.J. Brown trailing both at a distant +1800. However, it wouldn't come as a complete shock if McCaffrey ends up running away with this award in the coming weeks. Considering how dominant he’s been this year, it stands to reason he could reclaim his status as top dog as soon as Monday with a vintage performance against the Vikings.
It’s also worth noting that McCaffrey was the only non-quarterback MVP candidate among the top-10 favorites before the injury, according to BetMGM (+1100). That market has yet to adjust as he’s currently at +3000 despite not missing a single game.
