Football handed out its 2022 season awards at the NFL Honors show in Phoenix on Thursday night and the 49ers’ top-ranked defense got some well-deserved recognition.
Defensive end Nick Bosa was named Defensive Player of the Year after leading the NFL with 18.5 sacks in the regular season. He was the engine of the vaunted 49ers defense that held the team together all year long.
Bosa was on hand to accept his award in person, while shouting out his family, teammates and the 49ers organization.
Former defensive coordinator DeMeco Ryans, who is now head coach with the Houston Texans, was named Assistant Coach of the Year on the red carpet before the awards show. The 49ers finished the season as the top-ranked defense in points allowed (16.3) and yards allowed (300.6) during the regular season.
The 49ers fell short in some other categories, however, as coach Kyle Shanahan finished second to New York Giants’ Brian Daboll for Coach of the Year. The 49ers fought through a litany of injuries to win their final 10 games of the regular season before eventually reaching the NFC Championship, for the third time in the past four years.
Running back Christian McCaffrey also finished second in the race for his respective award, Comeback Player of the Year, which was won by Seattle Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith. McCaffrey was limited to just seven games in 2021 with the Carolina Panthers due to ankle/calf injuries but didn’t miss a game in 2022, racking up 1,880 yards from scrimmage and 14 total touchdowns in the regular season. He scored 14 touchdowns in 14 games with the 49ers including the postseason.
Despite his miraculous 7-0 run as starter to end the regular season, quarterback Brock Purdy finished third in the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year voting, behind winning wide receiver Garrett Wilson (New York Jets) and running back Kenneth Walker (Seattle Seahawks).
The real winner was George Kittle, who got to show off his singing pipes with an off-tune and awkward tribute song about his teammates.
