Getty Kyle Shanahan shakes hands with Matt Rhule following the 49ers' road rout on October 9, 2022.
The San Francisco 49ers defense spent their Sunday afternoon on October 9 unleashing their defensive fury in Charlotte, including holding All-Pro Christian McCaffrey to 54 rushing yards in the 37-15 romp of the Carolina Panthers.
But one insider believes that the next time McCaffrey sees the Niners, it should be for this reason: His team trading him to S.F.
Carolina Called to Shop McCaffrey Before Trade Deadline
Heavy NFL senior reporter Matt Lombardo wrote down that McCaffrey “is wasting away in Carolina.”
While McCaffrey still remains someone head coach Matt Rhule gives the ball to, with 408 yards from scrimmage and 3 touchdowns as proof, Lombardo believes the 2019 All-Pro who shattered the NFL receptions record for running backs that season should be shopped around by his team.
“If Panthers general manager Scott Fitterer has any sense, Carolina would be actively shopping McCaffrey to contenders as the NFL trade deadline nears,” Lombardo wrote.
And that’s when Lombardo threw in the Niners first among his list of suitors.
“Playoff teams like the San Francisco 49ers, Seattle Seahawks, and even a team like the Philadelphia Eagles with no meaningful holes to speak of and two first-round picks in the 2023 draft would make some sense for McCaffrey,” Lombardo said. “So, too, would the Buffalo Bills, whose offense would be as close to unbeatable as we have seen in this league, with McCaffrey as a focal point.”
But the idea of trading McCaffrey to S.F. will certainly fuel intrigue for the 49ers Faithful.
While Jeff Wilson pummeled his way to his fourth career 100-yard day (120 yards in the 22-point win), the 49ers have been decimated by injuries in the backfield with rookie Ty Davis-Price and 2021 lead rusher Elijah Mitchell out. Tevin Coleman was recently lured back to the 49ers and finished with 23 rushing yards against Carolina.
And, there’s two more elements that could orchestrate a move: McCaffrey being a past Bay Area legend at Stanford and the versatile running back knowing 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan since thinking “he babysat me a little.”
McCaffrey’s Value & Charlotte Future
So what will it look like if a team were to inquire about nabbing McCaffrey? Especially with his hefty four-year, $64,063,500 contract he signed that won’t make him an unrestricted free agent until 2026?
“Trading McCaffrey would create $1.03 million in cap space, while triggering a $7.75 million cap charge in 2022, and an $18.35 dead cap charge in 2023, but acquiring significant assets to jump-start an overdue rebuild could be worth it,” Lombardo said.
And even with the Panthers adding Baker Mayfield during training camp to eventually handle the quarterback reins, Lombardo adds “The Panthers have no chance of competing until they mine a franchise quarterback. Even if Carolina selects one of the top passers in the 2023 NFL draft, McCaffrey, 26, could be approaching the back end of his prime before a rookie quarterback is capable of turning the franchise’s fortunes around.”
The 49ers are now 3-2 and now in possession of first place in the NFC West. Shanahan has built an offense more run-heavy that’s backed by a ferocious defense that has allowed the fewest rushing yards among NFC teams and the third-fewest passing yards.
All the more reason why there’s the belief McCaffrey makes more sense elsewhere, including S.F.
“At this point, McCaffrey is more valuable to the Panthers as a trade chip than he is on a team that will struggle to finish .500 this season. Fitterer should try to toss his most valuable chip into the middle of the table,” Lombardo said.