The blockbuster trade of the 2022 season went down during Thursday Night Football, as the Panthers sent star running back Christian McCaffrey to the 49ers in a deal that sent shockwaves around the league.
The trade will send McCaffrey back to the Bay Area, where he played his college ball at Stanford, and will give him his first NFL opportunity outside of Carolina. He’s played for the Panthers for more than the last five seasons since the team selected him with the No. 8 pick in the 2017 NFL draft.
Before he made the journey across the country to join the 49ers Friday, McCaffrey had one last message of thanks for the Panthers organization and fanbase.
“I’m forever grateful for all of the people who have helped make these past 5 1/2 years so special for me,” McCaffrey wrote on Twitter Friday morning. “Thank you from the bottom of my heart.
“Carolina, I will always love you.”
The Panthers may be losing one of their best players, but they will receive a sizable amount of draft capital in return. San Francisco will send a second-round pick in 2023, a third-rounder in 2023, a fourth-round pick in 2023 and a fifth-rounder in 2024 to Carolina in the deal, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.
Additionally, the 49ers will pick up the remainder of McCaffrey’s contract with the Panthers, which includes $690,000 for the rest of the 2022 season and then $12 million or more per year until 2025.
A deal was somewhat expected after the Panthers were reportedly willing to trade McCaffrey after firing coach Matt Rhule following a 1–4 start to the season. Earlier this week, Carolina traded receiver Robbie Anderson to the Cardinals in return for draft picks, marking the first of what’s anticipated to be multiple deals made by the NFC South franchise before the trade deadline.
Time will tell if McCaffrey will make his 49ers debut against the Chiefs on Sunday afternoon.
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