What a couple of years it has been for Christian McCaffrey.

Not long ago, he was fighting through injuries on the Carolina Panthers in relative obscurity. He wasn’t considered the best running back in the NFL or one of the best players in the league regardless of position. That’s why the 49ers were able to trade for him without sending Carolina a first-round pick.

And since McCaffrey has joined the 49ers, he has gone to a Super Bowl, won the Offensive Player of the Year Award and been named the league’s third-best player in the NFL’s Top 100 list — one spot ahead of Patrick Mahomes. What an honor.

Of course, no one actually considers McCaffrey a better player than Mahomes. Mahomes is by far the best player in the NFL. He might be the best quarterback of all time. And McCaffrey is not the best running back ever. Not even close.

McCaffrey is very good, but when he had an opportunity to cement his legacy in as an all-time great and put the 49ers on his back in the Super Bowl, the biggest game of his life, he rushed for 3.5 yards per carry and fumbled and the 49ers lost to Mahomes and the Chiefs yet again.

I’m guessing the players voted before the Super Bowl and these rankings reflect regular-season performance much more than postseason performance. Otherwise, it makes no sense to rank Mahomes any lower than no. 1.

The only players who ranked ahead of McCaffrey were Lamar Jackson (no. 2) and Tyreek Hill (no. 1).