San Francisco 49ers’ Christian McCaffrey Trade A Short And Long-Term Move

The San Francisco 49ers are all-in on this season, that much is clear after they traded a host of draft picks to the Carolina Panthers to acquire Christian McCaffrey.

San Francisco sent a second, third and fourth-round pick in the 2023 draft and a fifth-rounder in 2024 to land McCaffrey, the Niners sending the signal that they believe their 3-3 team – which leads the NFC West — can again go deep into the playoffs and challenge to reach the Super Bowl.

But the level of compensation sent to Carolina also makes it evident McCaffrey is not just a one-year rental for San Francisco — as some had speculated he could be prior to the trade being made. To the contrary, the investment in McCaffrey is a long-term one in a player who can substantially diversify what is already one of the most difficult offenses in the NFL to stop when at its best.

While the compensation is similar to what the Los Angeles Rams gave up for edge rusher Von Miller, for whom they sent a second and third-round pick in this year’s draft to the Denver Broncos, McCaffrey is under contract for the next three seasons. Miller was on the final year of his deal and was signed by the Buffalo Bills after helping the Rams to a Super Bowl title.

The contract is one the 49ers may look to restructure in the offseason, with McCaffrey carrying a cap hit of $12 million in 2023, 2024 and 2025.

Though the lack of dead cap on his deal means the Niners could move on from McCaffrey at any point, the likelihood of them doing so is extremely low given the cost.

Instead, the 49ers will plan to make McCaffrey an integral part of both their present and their future, with his ability to do damage as both a runner and a receiver sure to be a significant boost to a Jimmy Garoppolo-led offense in 2022 and to Trey Lance when he returns from injury to helm the attack in 2023.

No running back has averaged more scrimmage yards per game since he entered the NFL in the 2017 draft than McCaffrey, who leads the way with 113.6. Alvin Kamara is the only back with more receiving yards than the former Stanford star’s 3,292 in that time.

San Francisco head coach Kyle Shanahan has not had a back who offers such explosiveness in both the running game and the passing attack since he took charge as head coach in 2017, and the prospect of utilizing McCaffrey’s talents alongside the versatile skill set of ‘wide back’ Deebo Samuel is a tantalizing one that will grow even more enticing when the dual threat of Lance is added back into the mix next year.

It’s debatable whether McCaffrey can put the 49ers over the top in a year where they have already been beset by injuries, but there is no doubt he will immediately make life easier for Jimmy Garoppolo and can be a significant safety net for Trey Lance going forward as part of a run game that now boasts extremely impressive depth in the backfield.

McCaffrey will be tasked with maximizing what the 49ers feel is a Super Bowl-ready roster this year and ensuring a rushing attack of which Lance will obviously be a focal point is a nightmare to defend in 2023 and beyond. Achieving those dual aims will be no easy feat but, should he do so, McCaffrey will be worth the high price the 49ers paid.