Less than 24 hours after being traded, running back Christian McCaffrey arrived for San Francisco 49ers practice on Friday.
There was a blockbuster trade to take place in the middle of a Thursday Night Football game. The San Francisco 49ers pulled off a blockbuster trade with the Carolina Panthers for their star running back, Christian McCaffrey. The Panthers received a second, a third, and a fourth-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, and a fifth-round selection in the 2024 NFL Draft from the 49ers in exchange for McCaffrey.
Less than 24 hours after the trade was reported, McCaffrey arrived in Santa Clara to complete his physical, which he passed to finalize the trade. As the team was practicing, McCaffrey walked to the football field, donning a red No. 23 jersey and a gold 49ers helmet.
Take your first look at McCaffrey in a 49ers uniform.
Christian McCaffrey dons 49ers uniform less than a day after trade
McCaffrey previously wore No. 22 for the Panthers, but that is already given to fellow running back Jeff Wilson Jr. When he played college football for the Stanford Cardinal, McCaffrey wore No. 5. Obviously, that number has been given to quarterback Trey Lance, who is sidelined for the remainder of the year due to an ankle injury.
As mentioned, this is McCaffrey’s return to the Bay Area since he played at Stanford. He broke Barry Sanders’ single-season all purpose yardage record in 2015, which was the very year that the team went 12-2 and won the Rose Bowl. He then played his way to becoming the eighth-overall pick in the 2017 NFL Draft, where he was selected by the Panthers.
The 49ers are scheduled to play the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 7? Will McCaffrey play? Head coach Kyle Shanahan said that the decision is “still up in the air.”
After spending his first five seasons in Carolina, McCaffrey is now officially a 49ers. He has the uniform to prove it.