Faithful Flashbacks #27: Trading for Christian McCaffrey

Faithful Flashbacks No. 27 revisits the trade that brought Christian McCaffrey to the 49ers and reshaped their offense.

Aug 4, 2026, 8:00 AM Updated: 11:59 am

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In honor of the San Francisco 49ers celebrating their 80th anniversary, Sactown Sports is kicking off a countdown of the 80 greatest moments in the franchise’s illustrious history in reverse order called Faithful Flashbacks.

From Super Bowl-winning plays to overperforming teams that had minimal expectations, there’s plenty to choose from the team with five titles under its belt.

The voting was conducted by a handful of the Sactown Sports’ staffers before results were compiled into a full list that will count down to the 49ers’ 2026 NFL regular season debut against the Rams in Melbourne, Australia, on September 10th.

Faithful Flashbacks -- San Francisco 49ers 80 Best Moments

Coming in at No. 27 on our ‘Faithful Flashbacks’ countdown of the 80 best moments in franchise history is the 49ers trading for Christian McCaffrey.

The move came in the middle of the 2022 season, as San Francisco looked to elevate its Super Bowl chances. The 49ers had enough talent to be taken seriously in the NFC, but the offense was still searching for another level. Expected starting quarterback of the future, Trey Lance, had already suffered a season-ending ankle injury, and Jimmy Garoppolo was back in the starting role. The team was trying to stay in the race while dealing with the usual injuries that had followed this era.

McCaffrey was a huge addition at the time, given his production when healthy. He had been one of the league’s most productive offensive players in Carolina, with a skill set that went beyond normal running back usage. The concern was health, because injuries had limited him in the seasons leading up to the trade. In the two seasons before being traded, CMC had played just 10 combined games.

No matter those concerns, his upside was obvious enough for the 49ers to take the swing anyway, and it’s unquestionably paid off since.

San Francisco acquired McCaffrey from the Panthers on Oct. 20, 2022, sending a 2023 second-round pick, third-round pick, fourth-round pick, and a 2024 fifth-round pick to Carolina. For a front office that had already invested significant resources in the roster, it was another aggressive move aimed at winning immediately. He looked like a natural fit into San Francisco’s offense rather quickly.

McCaffrey gave Kyle Shanahan the type of player who could be used in nearly every part of the offense. He could run between the tackles, get outside, line up as a receiver, handle screens, and create easier answers for the quarterback. That became even more important after Garoppolo was injured later in the season and Brock Purdy was pushed into the starting job as a rookie despite being the last pick in the entire NFL draft.

The 49ers’ season still ended in the NFC Championship Game, with Purdy’s elbow injury leaving the offense without a real chance against Philadelphia. But the trade had already changed the offense’s outlook, and the following season made it look even better.

McCaffrey became the NFL Offensive Player of the Year in 2023 and helped lead the 49ers back to the Super Bowl. What initially looked like an expensive win-now move turned into one of the clearest examples of the Shanahan-Lynch era betting on a high-end talent and being right. Turns out trade led them to add one of the more defining players of this iteration.

More Faithful Flashbacks from Sactown Sports

Upcoming San Francisco 49ers Schedule

Late July 2026 – NFL Training Camps open
Thursday, September 10th – vs. Los Angeles Rams in Melbourne, Australia (Season Opener) – 5:35 pm PT
Sunday, September 20th – vs. Miami Dolphins – 1:25 pm PT
Sunday, September 27th – vs. Arizona Cardinals – 1:05 pm PT
Sunday, October 4th – vs. Denver Broncos – 1:25 pm PT

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