The San Francisco 49ers have already won something this week, and they haven’t played the Seattle Seahawks yet.
It was announced this week that 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey is the recipient of the 2026 Bart Starr Award. This award is peer-driven, with input from NFL players.
The award, named after Green Bay Packers quarterback Bart Starr, is given to the player in the NFL who “best exemplifies outstanding character and leadership in the home, on the field, and in the community.”
McCaffrey
will receive the award at the Super Bowl Breakfast on Saturday, February 7.
For those of you wondering what the difference is between this award and the Walter Payton Man of the Year (where linebacker Curtis Robinson is the 49ers’ nominee for the second consecutive year), the Walter Payton Man of the Year is the official humanitarian award from the NFL. Every team nominates one player, and the winner gets a ton of visibility.
The Bart Starr Award is more about peer respect. There isn’t a single nominee from every team, and it’s driven more by NFL players. It’s more inward-facing and based on leadership and character. The Walter Payton Man of the Year is more philanthropic and outward-facing in impact.
That’s not to say McCaffrey hasn’t had an outward impact. His Christian McCaffrey Foundation has helped veterans and active-duty military receive health care, support frontline health care workers, and distribute gaming consoles nationwide to young patients.
The last time a 49ers player won the award was Brent Jones in 1998. Jones has the distinction of being the only co-winner in the award’s history, sharing the award with Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver Irving Fryar. Jones will be the emcee of 2026’s event to present the award to McCaffrey.
