NFL 2022: What does Christian McCaffrey bring to San Francisco 49ers?

NFL fans were astounded when news emerged that the Carolina Panthers traded former All-Pro running back Christian McCaffrey to the San Francisco 49ers on October 20. While rumours of a possible trade for McCaffrey surfaced before, the Panthers’ asking price of two first-round picks in return felt that it was unlikely to go through.

However, as things stand, the running back will now be donning the San Francisco 49ers jersey for the rest of the NFL 2022 season. However, what would he be bringing to the table at the 49ers? Let’s find out.

Also Read: NFL 2022: Why Carolina Panthers traded running back Christian McCaffrey to San Francisco 49ers

For starters, the 49ers’ offense has been mediocre at best in the ongoing season. Wide receiver Deebo Samuel has been the prime focus of opposition defenses, which has resulted in him not being able to replicate his performance from the previous season. Many feel that Samuel will need the services of a similar player like himself on the field and McCaffrey is exactly the type of player who fits the bill and is liked by Kyle Shanahan.

McCaffrey, 26, is one of the three NFL players who boast of 1,000 rushing as well as receiving yards in a single season. He was also part of a single-man offense between 2018-19 when he registered 223 receptions for 4,357 yards and 32 touchdowns.

However, the move comes with its fair share of complexities. The running back has often been described as injury prone. He has been unavailable in 23 out of 33 games in the 2020 and 2021 seasons. However, he looks healthy so far in the 2022 season, registering the second-most receptions (33) among all running backs and third-most in scrimmage yards (670).

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While the 49ers are not showing any weakness in running, the inclusion of McCaffrey is more to do with completing the offense. He can be expected to assist Jeff Wilson Jr in running the game as well as helping Jimmy Garoppolo in passing and Deebo Samuel in the offense. Wilson is currently 12th in the league in rushing yards, 7 more than McCaffrey (393).

The running back sounds like exactly the type of player who would shine under Kyle Shanahan and only time will tell if the move turns out well for the 49ers or not.