The San Francisco 49ers decided to take advantage of the fire sale organized by the Carolina Panthers and get their best player. The 49ers announced on Friday that they have completed a trade with the Panthers that saw them land star running back Christian McCaffrey.
According to the 49ers, they sent second, third, and fourth-round picks in 2023 and a fifth-rounder in 2024 to Carolina in order to get McCaffrey.
After the trade was completed, McCaffrey said goodbye to the Panthers’ franchise and fans via social media.
“I’m forever grateful for all of the people who have helped make these past 5 1/2 years so special for me,” he wrote on Twitter.
The Panthers have been shopping McCaffrey for a while now as they are looking to start with a rebuild after another disappointing start of the season. The team initially hoped it could get at least a first-round pick for the All-Pro back but ended up settling for a package that the 49ers offered.
San Francisco, on the other hand, probably felt that McCaffrey moves them closer to a Super Bowl win. The 26-year-old player significantly upgrade their running game while also opening different ways their offense can move the ball down the field.
Christian McCaffrey rushed for 3,980 yards and 32 touchdowns since entering the league in 2017. He also has 390 catches for 3,292 receiving yards and 18 receiving touchdowns. McCaffrey holds a number of NFL records and is only the third player in NFL history to have over 1,000 yards rushing and 1,000 yards receiving in a single season, a feat he achieved in 2019.
