How Reported Christian McCaffrey Trade Impacts 49ers' Salary Cap, Depth Chart
The San Francisco 49ers' running back room took a major hit earlier this season when Elijah Mitchell was lost to a knee injury.
So they reportedly acquired one of the best running backs in the league on Thursday.
According to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, the Carolina Panthers traded Christian McCaffrey to the 49ers for second-, third- and fourth-round draft picks in 2023 and a fifth-round draft pick in 2024.
It was quite the price to pay, but McCaffrey is under contract through 2025 and is making $1.04 million in base salary this year, per Spotrac. That means he should be a key part of San Francisco's backfield for years to come as it adds him to a team that had a total cap of $207.7 million and an estimated cap space of $4.8 million, per Spotrac.
Here is a look at the team's current running back depth chart with Mitchell injured:
1. Christian McCaffrey
2. Jeff Wilson Jr.
3. Tevin Coleman
San Francisco has a golden opportunity in front of it this season. While the Los Angeles Rams may be reigning Super Bowl champions, they are off to a 3-3 start and have looked anything but dominant thus far.
The Arizona Cardinals are 3-4, and the Seattle Seahawks are 3-3 in their first season after trading Russell Wilson to the Denver Broncos. The NFC West is wide open, and the 49ers are right atop the division at 3-3 even though they have dealt with a large number of injuries to this point.
Mitchell, Trey Lance, Nick Bosa, Trent Williams, Arik Armstead, Javon Kinlaw, Jimmie Ward and Talanoa Hufanga are among those who have dealt with various ailments, but the team is still right in the thick of the early playoff race.
While Lance is lost for the season, the 49ers figure to get healthier at some point. That could open the door for another deep playoff run after reaching a Super Bowl and NFC Championship Game during the past three seasons, and McCaffrey gives them an explosive playmaker who will be quite the one-two punch with Deebo Samuel.
Quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo is at his best as a game manager who gets the ball in the hands of the playmakers around him, meaning the more game-changers the team can add the better off it will be come the stretch run.
There aren't many better than McCaffrey, who has 393 rushing yards, 277 receiving yards and three total touchdowns through six games for a Panthers team that has largely struggled on the way to a 1-5 record.
Opposing defenses focused much of their attention on him in Carolina, but now they will have to deal with McCaffrey, Samuel, Brandon Aiyuk and others in San Francisco.
It will be anything but easy.
