5 crucial observations from the Carolina Panthers 2022 season

Carolina Panthers trading Christian McCaffrey was the right move

Moving on from a fan favorite is always hard. Carolina Panthers fans have experienced this too much over recent history. Sending away franchise running back Christian McCaffrey was one of those moments.

Following their Week 6 loss to the Los Angeles Rams, the Panthers traded away the former All-Pro to the San Francisco 49ers in exchange for four future draft picks, including three in this year’s draft. It was a difficult, but necessary move for a team that was looking to find some direction, whether it was a rebuild or a big retooling project.

With his massive contract and recent injury history, moving on from McCaffrey was a discussion that would’ve likely occurred this offseason regardless. As it turns out, he was healthy for most of 2022 and has been an ample reason why the Niners are playing for the NFC Championship this weekend.

I can’t overstate how much the former Stanford product meant for the Carolinas. He’s arguably one of the two or three best players at his position in franchise history. McCaffrey is also arguably the best running back in the NFL due to his elite versatility, quickness, athletism, vision, bust, and passing down skills.

However, it was time to move on. The team needed a new direction.

They certainly were able to make up for losing McCaffrey. This is thanks in part to the emergence of D’Onta Foreman and Chuba Hubbard over the second half of 2022.

The Panthers also got draft capital that will be critical in their decision-making process when it comes to the possibility of trading up for a quarterback. As of right now, the trade is a win-win for all parties.