The Seattle Seahawks have a new foe, he’s one they haven’t quite figured out how to slow down. Seattle’s arch rival by the Bay, the San Francisco 49ers, made headlines on Thursday night when they made a blockbuster move. According to reports from ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the 49ers are trading for Panthers star running back Christian McCaffrey.
Buy Seahawks TicketsStunner: Panthers are trading Pro-Bowl RB Christian McCaffrey to the San Francisco 49ers in exchange for draft picks, sources tell ESPN.
McCaffrey returns to the Bay Area, where he attended Stanford. pic.twitter.com/R474r3eSkv
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) October 21, 2022
The move will cost the 49ers more than a pretty penny. San Francisco is sending a 2023 second, third, and fourth round pick, as well as another fourth round pick for the 2024 NFL Draft. As it stands, the 49ers only have two original draft picks remaining, a fifth and a seventh rounder. They will have two third round compensatory picks, and have an additional seventh round selection from Denver.
However, if Christian McCaffrey can return to the player he was during the first three years of his career, the 49ers will be more than happy to pay such a lofty price. From 2017-2019, McCaffrey was an iron man. The Stanford star didn’t miss a single start. Unfortunately, injuries have become a considerable issue in the immediate past. In 2020 and 2021 McCaffrey played only a combined 10 games total between the two seasons. So far this year he has played in all six, but the injury concern should not be dismissed.
Against the Seahawks specifically, McCaffrey has been a one-man wrecking crew. In only two career games versus Seattle, McCaffrey has 212 rushing yards and 200 receiving yards, with four total touchdowns.
Seattle was already scheduled to face McCaffrey when they host Carolina in Week 14 this year. Now they will (potentially) see him one week later when the 49ers and their much more potent offense comes to town.
