In a year with a multitude of injuries, there were several players who stepped up for the San Francisco 49ers in 2025 and others who maintained a high level of play.
With that said, let’s revisit the 2025 season and look at who were the team’s most valuable players last year, ranking the top five in no order.
Advertisement
Honorable Mentions: Mac Jones, George Kittle
These two earned honorable mentions because they didn’t play for the whole season, but were crucial when on the field.
The 49ers don’t make the playoffs without Mac Jones, who played well in relief of Brock Purdy and had a 5-3 record as a starter. Similarly, George Kittle only played 11 games, but recorded 57 catches for 628 yards and seven touchdowns for the 49ers.
He was especially huge during San Francisco’s five-game winning streak, averaging 6.2 catches and 83 yards per game in that stretch, while scoring four touchdowns.
Christian McCaffrey
McCaffrey was fourth in MVP voting and won the Comeback Player of the Year Award after going over 2,000 yards from scrimmage and recording 17 touchdowns.
Advertisement
He was a workhorse, rushing for 1,202 yards and 10 touchdowns on 311 carries (second most in NFL), while catching 102 passes for 924 yards and seven more scores. He was in the top 10 for receptions as a running back, and really got going towards the end of the season as a rusher.
Yes, the efficiency and chunk plays weren’t up to par for McCaffrey, but his ability as a pass-catcher was huge for the 49ers offense.
Brock Purdy
Purdy only played in nine games, but he was quite important to the 49ers success down the stretch. After throwing seven interceptions in his first four starts of the year, Purdy turned things around and had a pair of five-touchdown games while leading the offense during the five-game win streak.
Advertisement
He finished the year with 2,167 yards, 20 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions, while going 7-2 as the starter in the regular season.
Trent Williams
Williams wasn’t on the NFL Protector of the Year list, but he had big responsibilities for the 49ers as the anchor at left tackle, and was crucial to the offensive line’s success as a whole. While he’s heading into his age-38 season, Williams is still playing at a very good level and had an underrated year in 2025 after dealing with injuries in 2024.
It wouldn’t be a surprise to see him get extended this offseason with one year left on his deal.
Upton Stout
Stout had a learning curve as a rookie, getting targeted quite often earlier in the year. But he had serious growth as the season went on and was one of the team’s best defenders over the second half of the season.
Advertisement
He added physicality and strong man coverage skills to an inconsistent secondary and proved to be a key contributor in Year 1.
Eddy Piniero
The 49ers got an elite kicker from free agency in Week 2 after releasing Jake Moody, as Piniero missed just one field goal during the regular season, going 28 of 29 on the year.
He was stellar from all ranges, even hitting a 59-yard field goal, and was crucial in a number of close games for the 49ers. He’s a key player to bring back in the offseason.
Read the full article here
