Late Thursday night, the rumored Christian McCaffrey trade came to fruition. The Panthers sent the superstar running back to the 49ers in exchange for second, third and fourth-round NFL draft picks in 2023, and a fifth-round pick in 2024, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.
San Francisco coach Kyle Shanahan is known for building dynamic rushing attacks, no matter which running back he has in the backfield—and he has had many players go off for huge games in his offense. Now, he has one of the most dynamic, well-rounded players in the league, albeit one with injury concerns.
Shanahan has reached a Super Bowl and another NFC championship game during his tenure in San Francisco. Once again, the 49ers are in the heart of the playoff race. Time will tell whether McCaffrey is the player to put the Niners over the top, but it has certainly rocked the football world for the time being.
One of McCaffrey’s new 49ers teammates, George Kittle, is certainly pumped.
The Bay Area presents something of a homecoming for McCaffrey. The running back starred at Stanford during his college career, and his father Ed McCaffrey had a brief tenure with the 49ers in 1994, in between stops with the Giants and Broncos.
Injuries are always a concern with the McCaffrey, and the 49ers offense can be a bit up-and-down with Jimmy Garoppolo under center. If everything clicks, however, the sky’s the limit for Shanahan’s offense with this big new acquisition.
On the year, McCaffrey has 670 total yards from scrimmage and three touchdowns. If he plays for the 49ers on Sunday, it will be against the Chiefs.
Sunday’s game in Santa Clara, Calif. kicks off at 4:25 p.m. ET.
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