The San Francisco 49ers are two steps away from the ultimate reward for another stellar season, but a host of the key architects of that campaign received recognition for their efforts on Thursday.

The Associated Press announced the finalists for the NFL's end-of-season awards, with the 49ers featuring prominently.

Once the frontrunner for the league's top honor, Brock Purdy is a finalist for the MVP award, though that is almost certainly set to go to Lamar Jackson.

Christian McCaffrey is also an MVP finalist, but he is much more likely to win Offensive Player of the Year, having also been named as a finalist for that award. McCaffrey is the heavy favorite having led the league in rushing yards (1,459), scrimmage yards (2,023) and touchdowns (21) in 2023.

The mastermind behind their offensive success, Kyle Shanahan, is once again a finalist for Coach of the Year. Shanahan was also a finalist in 2022, but lost out to Brian Daboll of the New York Giants.

Shanahan is unlikely to win this year either, with Kevin Stefanski the favorite ahead of former 49ers defensive coordinator DeMeco Ryans, but his presence as a finalist is deserved reward for one of the finest offensive seasons in modern NFL history, one in which he turned Purdy into a 4,000-yard quarterback.

The 49ers coach will be judged by most on what his offense does on Sunday in the NFC Championship Game against the Detroit Lions, a game in which they could be without Deebo Samuel through injury, but accolades such as his nomination as a finalist offer another reminder that Shanahan is one of the finest coaches of his generation.

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