5 teams that make sense if Carolina Panthers trade Christian McCaffrey

Christian McCaffrey could join the 49ers

Another team that recently saw Christian McCaffrey in the flesh also makes a ton of sense. The San Francisco 49ers put a beating on the Carolina Panthers bad enough for team owner David Tepper to fire head coach Matt Rhule, with Kyle Shanahan’s system seemingly perfect for the All-Pro from the outside looking in.

Shanahan likes to implement a run-first scheme with plenty of creativity. McCaffrey is arguably the league’s best dual-threat player out of the backfield, so the possibilities are endless regarding how he can be deployed for the Niners.

Whether San Francisco would be willing to part ways with what the Panthers reportedly want for McCaffrey is another matter. Jeff Wilson Jr. ran all over Carolina in Week 5 and has promise, with Elijah Mitchell another that could assist greatly once returning from injury.

Although both players are younger and cheaper than McCaffrey, neither has the same ability. If the Niners are serious about winning right now despite quarterback Trey Lance missing the season through injury, it’s a move they could make now that the Stanford product looks back to his reliable self health-wise.

Much like the situation with the Los Angeles Rams, San Francisco doesn’t have a first-round selection to offer in 2023. The Panthers are holding out for something substantial, but time is of the essence with the trade deadline set for November 1.