SAN FRANCISCO — Christian McCaffrey is up for what amounts to the Triple Crown of NFL awards on Thursday night: comeback player of the year, offensive player of the year (which he won in 2023), and most valuable player.

But for McCaffrey, there's one moment, coming this Thursday night at the annual NFL honors awards show, that has the potential to make him more emotional than any other: it will come if Luke Kuechly walks out on stage as the newest member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

"I would cry," admitted McCaffrey Sunday afternoon, following the NFC practice session for this year's Pro Bowl Games. Without a hint of sarcasm, teasing, or ribbing in his voice, McCaffrey doubled down on what it would mean to watch one of his closest friends and former teammates be honored.

"I would definitely cry. I mean, he's a first ballot Hall of Famer, and I think he got screwed (last year)."

Kuechly was a finalist for the Hall of Fame last year, his first year of eligibility, but didn't make the final cut. That made him an automatic finalist this year, and the Hall of Fame will announce this year's class during NFL honors on Thursday night.

And while McCaffrey is waiting to hear if his own name is called for one of the three major awards he's nominated for, hearing Kuechly's name would mean almost just as much.

"You know, he's one of the best players that's ever played football and the fact that I got the few years that I did with him was—I think the older I get in the league, the more I appreciate it, that I got to be in a locker room with guys like that and watch them every day," continued McCaffrey, his voice picking up as he got excited reliving the memories.

"And not just play with them—obviously the play speaks for itself—but the kind of person (Luke) is and still maintains a friendship to this day is really an honor."

Every player who gets into the Hall of Fame says, in some way or another, that they would never have made it there without teammates, on the field and in life. Because football is the ultimate team sport, requiring partnership, assistance, everyone doing their job, and, for young players coming into the league, having veterans pour into them.

It's the latter that will be on Brian Burns' mind if Kuechly walks out on that stage Thursday night. While the Hall of Fame resume will span eight years of Kuechly's play at the top of his game, including a defensive player of the year season, seven All-Pro seasons (five first team and two seconds), and seven Pro Bowls, Burns will be remembering the 2019 season, when he came into the league as a rookie and shared a locker room with the future Hall of Famer.

"That was definitely one guy, well, there's a couple of guys I looked up to, but that was definitely one of the main guys I looked up to and watched his process my rookie year," recalled Burns on Sunday. "He's very deserving of it, and I'll be ecstatic for him."

Kuechly is a finalist along with Drew Brees, Larry Fitzgerald, Jason Witten, Frank Gore, Willie Anderson, Torry Holt, Adam Vinatieri, Eli Manning, Reggie Wayne, Jahri Evans, Marshal Yanda, Terrell Suggs, and Darren Woodson. NFL Honors will air Thursday at 9 p.m. EST on NBC and NFL Network.