San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey is the winner of the 2026 Bart Starr Award.
Named for a Montgomery native and former Alabama quarterback, the Bart Starr Award has been presented annually since 1989 to “the NFL player who best exemplifies outstanding character and leadership in the home, on the field and in the community.”
The award is voted on by NFL players.
McCaffrey will receive the 2026 Bart Starr Award at the 39th annual Super Bowl Breakfast on Feb. 7 at the Marriott Marquis in San Francisco.
“Christian McCaffrey stood out to his peers as an individual who leads with integrity and honor,” said Corwin Anthony, the executive director of the Super Bowl Breakfast. “His character, being displayed both on the field and in his community, honor and embody the legacy of the late Bart Starr.”
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In his ninth NFL season, McCaffrey ran for 1,202 yards and 10 touchdowns on 311 carries and caught 102 passes for 924 yards and seven touchdowns. He held the all-purpose spot on The Associated Press All-Pro team for the 2025 season.
The 49ers play the Seattle Seahawks in a Divisional Weekend game in the NFL playoffs at 7 p.m. CST Saturday at Lumen Field in Seattle. FOX will televise the game.
The running back’s Christian McCaffrey Foundation operates programs that aim to equip U.S. veterans and active-duty military with health resources fit for athletes, provide support for front-line healthcare workers and distribute gaming consoles to hospitals for young patients.
“I’m humbled and very honored,” McCaffrey said. “It’s an awesome award, and I don’t take it lightly. I feel like the luckiest guy. I’m a part of an unbelievable team with so many great players and great guys that I get to come in to work with every day and do what I love. I appreciate being recognized by my fellow players around the league.”
Starr was a Sidney Lanier High School and Alabama quarterback who had a Pro Football Hall of Fame career with the Green Bay Packers. Starr played for the Packers from 1956 through 1971 and was Green Bay’s coach from 1975 through 1983.
With coach Vince Lombardi, Starr led the Packers to five NFL championships, including victories in the first two Super Bowls. He won the NFL’s Most Valuable Player Award in 1966 and was the MVP of the first two Super Bowls. Starr joined Johnny Unitas and Sonny Jurgensen as the quarterbacks on the NFL’s All-1960s team and entered the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1977 in his first year of eligibility.
Past winners of the award include former Alabama All-American Minkah Fitzpatrick.