McCaffrey to the San Francisco 49ers

The Carolina Panthers traded running back Christian McCaffrey to the San Francisco 49ers in exchange for draft picks.

A dejected Christian McCaffrey said, “All I want to do is win,” following a 24-10 loss to the Los Angeles Rams that left the Carolina Panthers 1-5.

Now he’ll get his chance, after the Panthers traded the star running back to the San Francisco 49ers for draft picks.

For Christian McCaffrey, the Panthers will receive the second-rounder, a third-rounder, a 2023 fourth-rounder, plus a 2024 fifth-rounder.

The deal gives San Francisco the offensive weapon they needed to compete for a Super Bowl. It also gives McCaffrey the opportunity to be on a winning team for the first time since his rookie season in 2017 when Carolina went 11-5 and return to the Bay Area, where he played collegiately for Stanford.

When healthy, McCaffrey is one of the most complete players both on the ground and through the air. In 2019, he became the only player in NFL history to achieve 1,000 yards rushing and through the air in the same season. His 670 yards from scrimmage – leading in ground yards with 393 and leading in receptions with 33 for 277 yards – this season leaves him fourth in the NFL.

Injuries have been the former Stanford standout’s main problem. He missed 23 of 33 games from 2020-2021 after being injury-free in his first three NFL seasons. In the offseason he spent time with Hall of Fame player Mashall Faulk, who had one of his best seasons at the start of his sixth year, on what to work on and diets that could help him on the field.

So far, McCaffrey has avoided injury after playing 85% of Carolina’s snaps.

Rumors that Carolina (1-5) would give up 26-year-old Christian McCaffrey began after coach Matt Rhule was fired Monday following a 37-15 loss to Niners that left them 1-4. According to a non-Panthers board source, Carolina initially asked for two first-round picks.

The Panthers will replace McCaffrey with 2021 pick Chuba Hubbard and D’Onta Foreman, who was acquired in a trade with Tennessee Titans during the offseason. Foreman has 12 carries for 37 yards and Hubbard five for 39 this season.