The 49ers may have won the sweepstakes for standout running back Christian McCaffrey, but they weren’t the only franchise looking to land the Panthers star.
According to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, the Rams “made a push” for McCaffrey, but ultimately couldn’t match the price that San Francisco was willing to offer for the 26-year-old. The 49ers ended up sending the Panthers a second, third and fourth-round NFL draft picks in 2023, and a fifth-round pick in 2024, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.
Los Angeles was never quite willing to part ways with such a hefty number of draft picks, according to The Athletic’s Jourdan Rodrigue. The Rams may have considered including two picks and a player in a potential deal for the All-Pro caliber running back, but weren’t willing to get involved in a bidding war that would’ve resulted in an inflated price.
Neither the Rams nor the 49ers made a first-round pick available during negotiations, per Rodrigue.
Given their current struggles at running back,a the Rams will likely regret missing out on a talent like McCaffrey. Los Angeles is already short-handed at the position as it searches for trade possibilities involving Cam Akers amid a rift between the team and the 23-year-old ballcarrier.
Instead of the Rams insuring their backfield, McCaffrey will head to an NFC West rival, where he’ll get the opportunity to be a focal point of a Kyle Shanahan offense. On the year, the former No. 8 pick has 670 total yards from scrimmage and three touchdowns, totals that are sure to increase exponentially in San Francisco.
McCaffrey is reportedly expected to fly out to the Bay Area on Friday and immediately get to work. Time will tell if he takes the field and makes his 49ers debut when the Chiefs come to town on Sunday.
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