‘The Lord Will Fight for You’: 49ers RB Credits Faith in Jesus While Accepting NFL Award

Published: February 12, 2026

By Mallory Mattingly

San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey received the Bart Starr Award while the Super Bowl Breakfast, and he pointed to his faith in God for his ability to impact people on and off the field.

“I feel just immense gratitude as I’m standing up here receiving this award that means so much to me,” the running back began on Feb. 7.

The Athletes in Action/Bart Starr Award honors the NFL player who “who best exemplifies outstanding character and leadership in the home, on the field, and in the community,” the Super Bowl Breakfast’s website describes. It’s named after NFL Hall of Famer Bart Starr, who was the MVP for Super Bowls I and II and “served his family and community faithfully through the years and is a role model for athletes and business people alike.”

McCaffrey continued, pointing to the career high of reaching the Super Bowl with the 49ers in 2024 and the lows of injuries that derailed his 2024-2025 season.

“It was in those moments where God was the most evident,” he said. “I found myself relying on many verses, one being Psalm 23: ‘The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want’ [v. 1]. And that, to me, is something that I stuck with for that entire year.”

“To stop wanting. To truly surrender. And that was something for me that in prayer and in my support staff and all the people who helped me, I didn’t make it about winning Super Bowls anymore,” he added. “I didn’t make it about anything else other than surrendering to what the Lord had in store for me.”

The running back also spoke on Exodus 14:14, a verse that has had an immense impact on him.

“The things that were consistent for me — that I truly believe I wouldn’t be standing up here without it — was God, my faith in Jesus and the people around me,” McCaffrey said. “And the verse this year, that I gotta continue to say to myself, is Exodus 14:14, which is, ‘The Lord will fight for you, you must only be still.’ …When you know that all you have to do is be still, all you have to do is continue fighting, all you have to do is show up and do the best job you can, let God fight for you.”

McCaffrey took to social media to once again show his gratitude to the people who shaped his career.

“Truly grateful to receive the Bart Starr Award. Leadership begins with humility and learning from those who’ve gone before us. Bart was someone whose character and faith transcended football. It’s an honor to represent him and I’m thankful for everyone in my life who’ve helped shape me. God Bless,” he wrote.