If ever there was a year for a non-quarterback to win the NFL MVP, this would be it.

Dak Prescott and Brock Purdy had some rough patches, Josh Allen threw 18 interceptions and Lamar Jackson was great – but not quite as transcendent as when he won the award in 2019.

Then there’s Christian McCaffrey, who led the league in rushing yards, totaled 21 touchdowns and hardly skipped a beat for the 49ers as they rolled into the playoffs as the NFC’s No. 1 seed.

As the fifth-favorite for the award according to the sportsbooks, McCaffrey is an outside bet to become the first non-quarterback since Adrian Peterson in 2012 to win MVP.

But the fact that McCaffrey is even in the discussion is a testament to the impact he’s had this year – and his remarkable consistency.

The dual-threat back reached at least 85 yards on the ground in 10 of 16 contests this season, and caught at least five balls in half of his 16 games as well.

It’s no huge surprise then, that the 49ers’ three-game losing streak coincided with more muted performances from the running back.

Even then, McCaffrey tallied five touchdowns before his team got back on track and secured home field advantage throughout the playoffs, with San Francisco set to welcome the Packers this week.

Any success the 49ers wish to have this postseason will ride heavily on the understated McCaffrey, who largely lets his play do the talking.

On the field, he is the league’s most complete running back, his blend of speed and physicality often proving impossible for defenders to deal with.

Off it, he seems to live a slightly more relatable existence, even if he’s the son of three-time Super Bowl winner Ed McCaffrey.

McCaffrey has settled down with model and influencer Olivia Culpo, whom he began dating in 2019.

The couple have been inseparable ever since and got engaged last April, with Culpo writing a touching tribute to her now-fiancée on her Instagram story.

‘We tried to keep this quiet for as long as possible but apparently word travels fast,’ she said. ‘I’m marrying my best friend.’

At times, the lifestyle that comes with being a star professional athlete engaged to a famous model peeks through.

He and Culpo posed on the red carpet last February for the NFL Honors ceremony before both being dressed by Dolce & Gabbana for a fashion show last July in Italy.

Since then Culpo has continued to support McCaffrey and the 49ers at Levi’s Stadium, often wearing custom clothes with the player’s face and name on it.

The 27-year-old Stanford grad also draws support from his faith as a Christian.

He has been known to pray during games and often invokes bible verses on his Instagram page as well.

‘My faith is very important to me and that’s why I’m praying all the time,’ he told the San Francisco Chronicle earlier this season.

‘When you have a bunch of people chanting your name, it’s important that you give the honor and glory back to the person, God, that’s allowing me to do this.’

Additionally, McCaffrey is evidently a family man, as he’s posted Mother’s and Father’s Day tributes to his parents within the past year.

His mother Lisa and father Ed met at Stanford (also his alma mater) while starring on the soccer and football teams respectively.

McCaffrey’s maternal grandfather, David Sime, was also an Olympic sprinter, and it’s clear he’s inherited the family genes.

He’ll hope to continue his success this Saturday against the Packers, who stunned the NFL by knocking off the Cowboys at home in the first round.

These are the types of moments that led the 49ers to trade for McCaffrey from the Panthers.

The franchise has lost in the NFC Championship the last two seasons running, with last year’s loss to the Eagles (shortly after acquiring McCaffrey) largely fueled by an elbow injury to quarterback Brock Purdy.

The team has also lost in its last two trips to the Super Bowl (2013 and 2020), with its last championship coming back in 1994.

Nonetheless, Purdy is all healthy, McCaffrey is at the peak of his powers and San Francisco won’t have to leave the confines of its home stadium until the Super Bowl – if they can get there.

The running back, now in his seventh season, may never have a better chance to capture a Super Bowl.

So, with the help of a supercharged defense, a savvy coach in Kyle Shanahan and arguably the league’s best group of pass catchers, don’t be surprised if he just goes and does it.