BREAKING: Christian McCaffrey Traded To The San Francisco 49ers

The Carolina Panthers have gotten off to a terrible start to the season and have decided to go full rebuild mode before the trade deadline. They have begun by trading superstar running back Christian McCaffrey to the San Francisco 49ers for a second (Via LA Rams), third, and fourth round pick in 2023 along with a fifth round pick in 2024. This just further solidifies that the Panthers are tanking this year and will be going into a full rebuild. What will McCaffrey bring to the 49ers’ offense though? Let’s break down what this trade means for both teams.

What Losing McCaffrey Means For The Panthers

Losing McCaffrey is obviously a big blow to how the Panthers’ offense will run since he was by far their best player on the field. However, the Panthers have had to run the offense without McCaffrey a lot in the past, with him only playing 16 games in the past two years and always is always at the fear of getting injured. This year McCaffrey has been injury free and was the workhorse of the Panthers’ offense, due to terrible quarterback play and bad coaching.

This also poses a great opportunity for the Panthers to start their rebuild, so they are no longer locked into his contract. McCaffrey had the biggest contract in NFL history for a running back and was very limited throughout it for the Panthers. Getting that contract off the books will free up a lot of money to bring in new young pieces or resign the young pieces they want to keep, to kick off their rebuild. So for the Panthers, even though this is a huge loss to their team, it opens many opportunities to start their rebuild.

What Can McCaffrey Bring To The 49ers’ Offense?

McCaffrey is one of the best offensive players in the entire NFL when he is on the field. Just his presence will elevate so many of his teammate’s potential by distracting defenses and taking some slack off of their better players. Due to McCaffrey being a dominant threat in the run-and-pass game, Deebo Samuel won’t have to do almost everything on the offensive end anymore and can focus being on more of a pure receiver like he wants to be. He will also greatly help out Jimmy Garoppolo as a dump-off option when he’s under pressure, and Garoppolo won’t have to pass the ball as much now that they have an elite running back.

This move also greatly impacts Christian McCaffrey’s career, so he no longer has to deal with a team that is putting him in bad situations. The 49ers have easily the best offensive line McCaffrey has ever played with, which will not only open more opportunities for him but will help keep him healthy. Jimmy Garoppolo is also probably the best quarterback he has ever played with, so he won’t have to run the ball almost every play. Plus Deebo Samuel, Brandon Aiyuk, and George Kittle are probably the best supporting cast of weapons he’s ever played with, so he won’t have to do everything for the offense and can focus on staying healthy.

Who Won The McCaffrey Trade?

If he stays healthy the 49ers likely have won this trade, since they did not have to give up a first round pick like the Panthers were originally asking. The Panthers also got a great deal, however, since they cleared so much cap and gained a lot of draft capital in the upcoming draft. So while the 49ers will likely get the better end of the deal, this is almost as even as a trade can get for both teams’ individual needs and intentions.