Editorial

Carolina Panthers Trade Christian McCaffrey To The San Francisco 49ers In Blockbuster Deal

(Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)

Seth Roy Contributor
Font Size:

The San Francisco 49ers traded for Pro Bowl running back Christian McCaffrey late Thursday night, according to multiple sources.

The Carolina Panthers will receive second-, third-, fourth- and fifth-round picks for McCaffrey, who was on the team since his rookie season in 2017.

This acquisition is huge for the 49ers. The San Fran offense led by Jimmy Garoppolo makes the 49ers a serious threat to win the National Football Conference if not the Super Bowl. The quick and crafty McCaffrey will play alongside other All-Pro players on the 49ers offense such as Deebo Samuel and George Kittle now. (RELATED: REPORT: Patriots QB Mac Jones Slated To Return In Time For Monday Night Football. Is The Starting Job Still His?)

McCaffrey makes the San Fran offense very tough to defend. In the previous season, Deebo Samuel looked like one of the best players in the NFL as both a running back and a wide receiver. He had 98 total yards and a touchdown in the 49ers’ loss to the eventual Super Bowl champions, the Los Angeles Rams, in the NFC Championship game.

Taking the load off of Samuel to give an elite running back like McCaffrey as many carries, if not more, will make this offense seem impossible to defend.

Every season, 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan, with Samuel, Kittle, Garoppolo, the gritty veteran 49ers defense, come so close to winning the Super Bowl. In 2020, they lost in the Super Bowl to the Kansas City Chiefs and in 2021 they were a just game away from playing in the big game again.

It’s tough to nail predictions right on the head sometimes, but the 49ers adding McCaffrey to the mix makes San Francisco look Super Bowl bound.