On Thursday, the Panthers shocked the NFL world when they traded Christian McCaffrey to the 49ers in exchange for second-, third- and fourth-round draft picks in 2023, and a fifth-rounder in ’24.
But before the deal was finalized, the Bills, Eagles, Rams and Broncos all reached out to Carolina to inquire about a potential deal, sources told Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer.
San Francisco was the first team to reach out, on Oct. 14, and made the first offer, followed by Buffalo. At that point, Carolina told inquiring teams that a first-rounder alone might get the deal done, and that a first-rounder and a later pick definitely would get it done.
The Broncos and Eagles eventually inquired but apparently were just gauging the landscape of what the Panthers were seeking—both teams offered just a third- and fourth-round pick each for McCaffrey, sources told Breer. By Thursday, it became clear that the tailback either would be going to the 49ers or Rams. The Bills were in the running late as well, but the asking price never came down to the point where they felt comfortable.
Los Angeles’s final offer was second- and third-rounders in 2023, fourth- and fifth-rounders in ’24 and running back Cam Akers, but it wasn’t enough. In the end, the tiebreaker was the fact that the Rams didn’t have a fourth-round pick in 2023.
McCaffrey made his debut for the 49ers on Sunday, tallying eight carries for 38 yards and two catches for 24 yards in a 44–23 loss to the Chiefs.
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