Panthers trade Christian McCaffrey to 49ers in huge deal

The Carolina Panthers are trading elite running back Christian McCaffrey to the San Francisco 49ers in the latest mega deal of 2022.

As part of the deal, the Panthers will receive a 2023 NFL Draft second-round pick, a 2023 third-rounder, a 2023 fourth-rounder and a 2024 fifth-round pick.

The purse is perhaps quite steep purse for a player plagued by injuries in recent years. But McCaffrey, taken eighth overall by the Panthers in the 2017 NFL Draft, is still one of the stars of the NFL on his day and will bring a lot of explosive play to the San Francisco offense.

For the Panthers, the move offers the opportunity to help their rebuild from next season, with much needed draft inventory for the offseason.

With the team struggling in 2022, McCaffrey may be one of many out of the door in Carolina before the November 1 trade deadline. Robbie Anderson was the first to leave after head coach Matt Rhule was sacked, and the likes of DJ Moore and Brian Burns are rumoured to be attracting interest from elsewhere.

McCaffrey is scheduled to travel to his new home on Friday and is expected to play for the 49ers on Sunday against the Kansas City Chiefs.