Christian McCaffrey has become one the most versatile and exciting running backs in the league since being drafted by the Panthers in the first round of the 2017 draft. It's not a secret that the Panthers have been struggling as a franchise for the last four years and a lot of rumors have been swirling that the pro-bowler was on the trading block. After all the guessing about where the young star could land, the wait is finally over.

This a great trade for both teams. The Panthers a clearly going into a rebuild mode after this season and the dual threat McCaffrey would give Carolina excellent trade value. The 49ers on the other hand are a solid team in almost all phases of football. They have a top-ten defense and elite pass catchers with Samuel and Kittle, all that was missing was an elite running back. Here is all the details from the trade.

For McCaffrey, it's a homecoming as he returns to the Bay Area after playing his college ball at Stanford. The young star has been banged up the last couple of seasons which has certainly limited his career production, but he is certainly a threat when he is healthy. McCaffrey had back-to-back 1,000-yard rushing seasons in 2018 and 2019 before injuries sidelined him for the majority of 2020 and 2021.

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Over his career, he racked up just under 4,000 yards rushing with 32 touchdowns to go along with 3,300 yards receiving and additional 18 touchdowns. So far this season, he has 400 yards rushing with 2 touchdowns. I would expect those numbers to increase while running behind that outstanding offensive line of the 49ers.

Fans across the league have listened to the rumors of where McCaffrey could land, their reactions say it all.

For the Saints, the Panthers will be a little easier to scheme against without the pro-bowler in Carolina.

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