San Francisco running back Christian McCaffrey, who led the NFL in receiving yards by a running back and had the second-most yards from scrimmage in the league in 2025 after missing 13 games of 2024 with several injuries, is the 2025 NFL Comeback Player of the Year chosen in voting by the Professional Football Writers of America (PFWA).
New England quarterback Drake Maye, who helped lead the Patriots to 14 victories and paced the NFL in several passing categories, is the 2025 NFL Most Improved Player of the Year.
McCaffrey missed the entire 2024 preseason with both calf and Achilles injuries, and he was deactivated prior to the season opener. The 49ers placed him on injured reserve, and he missed the next seven games. He returned to the active roster for Week 10, and he played in four games before a knee injury in Week 13 forced him back to injured reserve for the remainder of the season. This season, McCaffrey returned to form as he started all 17 games and rushed 311 times for 1,202 yards and 10 touchdowns. He also led the NFL in running back receiving yards as he caught a team-leading 102 passes for 924 yards and seven TDs. His 2,126 yards from scrimmage was second in the NFL, and he also led the league in total first downs gained with 119. He posted four 100-yard rushing games, and he scored either a rushing or receiving touchdown in 12 games as he is the first player in NFL history to register at least five rushing touchdowns and five or more receiving TDs in a season. McCaffrey was the NFC Offensive Player of the Week for Week 7, and he was selected to both the PFWA’s All-NFL and All-NFC teams.
McCaffrey is the third 49ers Comeback Player of the Year honoree, joining Bryant Young (1999) and Garrison Hearst (2001) since the award was instituted in 1992.
Maye started 12 of 13 games played in 2024 as the Patriots struggled to a 4-13 record. This season, he started all 17 games and led the NFL in completion percentage (72.0), yards per attempt (8.9) and passer rating (113.5) as New England went 13-4 to tie for the league’s best record and gain the AFC’s No. 2 seed. He completed 354 of 492 pass attempts for 4,394 yards, 31 touchdowns and only eight interceptions. He also rushed 103 times for 450 yards and four TDs. Maye is the eighth quarterback in NFL history to finish a season with a 70 percent completion percentage, at least 4,000 passing yards and at least 30 touchdown passes. He posted a franchise-record 13 games with a passer rating of 100 or more – including a stretch of eight consecutive games. He set a Patriots record by throwing TDs to five different receivers at the N.Y. Jets in Week 17 in a game when he became the first QB to have 250 or more passing yards, five passing TDs and a 90 percent completion percentage. He was the AFC Offensive Player of the Week for Week 13, and he was selected to the PFWA’s All-AFC team.
Maye is the first New England player to receive the Most Improved Player of the Year honor since it was first awarded by the PFWA in 2000.
2025 COMEBACK PLAYER OF THE YEAR: RB Christian McCaffrey, San Francisco 49ers
2025 MOST IMPROVED PLAYER OF THE YEAR: QB Drake Maye, New England Patriots
PFWA COMEBACK PLAYER OF THE YEAR: 1992 – QB Randall Cunningham, Philadelphia Eagles; 1993 – RB Marcus Allen, Kansas City Chiefs; 1994 – QB Dan Marino, Miami Dolphins; 1995 – QB Jim Harbaugh, Indianapolis Colts; 1996 – RB Jerome Bettis, Pittsburgh Steelers; 1997 – WR Robert Brooks, Green Bay Packers; 1998 – QB Doug Flutie, Buffalo Bills; 1999 – DT Bryant Young, San Francisco 49ers; 2000 – DE Joe Johnson, New Orleans Saints; 2001 – RB Garrison Hearst, San Francisco 49ers; 2002 – QB Tommy Maddox, Pittsburgh Steelers; 2003 – QB Jon Kitna, Cincinnati Bengals; 2004 – RB Willis McGahee, Buffalo Bills; 2005 – WR Steve Smith, Carolina Panthers; 2006 – QB Chad Pennington, New York Jets; 2007 – WR Randy Moss, New England Patriots; 2008 – QB Chad Pennington, Miami Dolphins; 2009 – QB Tom Brady, New England Patriots; 2010 – QB Michael Vick, Philadelphia Eagles; 2011 – QB Matthew Stafford, Detroit Lions; 2012 – RB Adrian Peterson, Minnesota Vikings; 2013 – QB Philip Rivers, San Diego Chargers; 2014 – TE Rob Gronkowski, New England Patriots; 2015 – S Eric Berry, Kansas City Chiefs; 2016 – WR Jordy Nelson, Green Bay Packers; 2017 – WR Keenan Allen, Los Angeles Chargers; 2018 – QB Andrew Luck, Indianapolis Colts; 2019 – QB Ryan Tannehill, Tennessee Titans; 2020 – QB Alex Smith, Washington Football Team; 2021 – QB Joe Burrow, Cincinnati Bengals; 2022 – QB Geno Smith, Seattle Seahawks; 2023 – S Damar Hamlin, Buffalo Bills; 2024 – QB Joe Burrow, Cincinnati Bengals; 2025 – RB Christian McCaffrey.
PFWA MOST IMPROVED PLAYER OF THE YEAR: 2000 – QB Jeff Garcia, San Francisco 49ers; 2001 – QB Kordell Stewart, Pittsburgh Steelers; 2002 – QB Chad Pennington, New York Jets; 2003 – QB Jon Kitna, Cincinnati Bengals; 2004 – QB Drew Brees, San Diego Chargers; 2005 – DE Osi Umenyiora, New York Giants; 2006 – RB Frank Gore, San Francisco 49ers; 2007 – QB Derek Anderson, Cleveland Browns; 2008 – RB DeAngelo Williams, Carolina Panthers; 2009 – WR Miles Austin, Dallas Cowboys; 2010 – RB Arian Foster, Houston Texans; 2011 – WR Victor Cruz, New York Giants; 2012 – WR Dez Bryant, Dallas Cowboys; 2013 – WR Alshon Jeffery, Chicago Bears; 2014 – RB Le’Veon Bell, Pittsburgh Steelers; 2015 – (tie) QB Kirk Cousins, Washington Redskins and CB Josh Norman, Carolina Panthers; 2016 – LB Vic Beasley, Atlanta Falcons; 2017 – QB Jared Goff, Los Angeles Rams; 2018 – TE George Kittle, San Francisco 49ers; 2019 – QB Ryan Tannehill, Tennessee Titans; 2020 – QB Josh Allen, Buffalo Bills; 2021 – (tie) CB Trevon Diggs, Dallas Cowboys and RB Cordarrelle Patterson, Atlanta Falcons; 2022 – QB Geno Smith, Seattle Seahawks; 2023 – QB Baker Mayfield, Tampa Bay Buccaneers; 2024 – QB Sam Darnold, Minnesota Vikings; 2025 – QB Drake Maye, New England Patriots.
