The Carolina Panthers traded star running back Christian McCaffrey to the San Francisco 49ers in exchange for second-, third and fourth round picks in 2023 and a fifth-round pick in 2024.
This is huge for the 49ers as they finally get the player that they needed. They went to the NFC Championship last season and were less than a quarter away from their 2nd Super Bowl appearance in 3 years. McCaffrey is one of the best receivers/running backs in the league. In 2019, he was only the 3rd player to ever have 1,000 rushing yards and 1,000 receiving yards in a season. McCaffrey said on Twitter on Friday morning, “I’m forever grateful for all of the people who have helped make these past 5 ½ years so special for me. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. Carolina, I will always love you. #KeepPounding”
The Panthers are very clearly rebuilding, but that might not be the only reason they traded away McCaffrey. They will be in a good financial space, as McCaffrey is under contract through 2025 with a base salary of $11 million in 2022 and 2023 and $12 million in 2025. He has cap hits of his $19,550,750 in 2023 and 2024, and $15,450,750 in 2025.
What will happen next for both franchises? We’ll see.
