Christian McCaffrey to reportedly make Niners debut 3 days after getting traded
Christian McCaffrey is a quick learner, apparently.
The All-Pro running back is expected to make his debut with the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday against the Kansas City Chiefs, three days after the blockbuster trade that sent him away from the Carolina Panthers, per ESPN's Adam Schefter.
The Niners reportedly have a package of plays in their game plan ready for McCaffrey.
Christian McCaffrey, who was traded to San Francisco late Thursday night and flew to his new employer Friday, is expected to make his 49ers debut today vs. the Chiefs, per sources. The 49ers have a package of plays in their gameplan for McCaffrey.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) October 23, 2022
McCaffrey landed in San Francisco after the 1-5 Panthers fired their head coach Matt Rhule and committed to a teardown-style rebuild this season, also trading away Robbie Anderson, who was No. 2 on the team in receiving yards behind McCaffrey.
In six games this season, McCaffrey has 393 rushing yards (4.6 yards per rush), 277 receiving yards (6.4 yards per target) and three total touchdowns.
Niners made big move with Christian McCaffrey
It took a bevy of draft picks to land McCaffrey, but the Niners at least managed to avoid giving up a first-rounder for a running back. In return for McCaffey, the Panthers received a second-, third- and fourth-round pick in the 2023 NFL draft, plus a fifth-rounder in 2024.
The 3-3 Niners acquired McCaffrey with the hope of turbo-charging their offense enough to emerge as a contender in a crowded NFC. Few, if any, teams can match a collection of offensive weapons like McCaffrey, Deebo Samuel, George Kittle and Brandon Aiyuk, and now fans won't have to wait long to see that group together on the field.
Sunday's game is scheduled for 1:25 PT at Levi's Stadium.
