The former Carolina Panthers running back Christian McCaffrey opened up about his time with the San Francisco 49ers and how the move transformed his NFL career.
The Panthers were eyeing to rebuild their roster following the firing of head coach Matt Rhule and traded McCaffrey to the San Francisco 49ers in exchange for the 2023 second, third, and fourth-round picks and the 2024 fifth-round pick.
The former two-time All-Pro didn’t like the move and stated to take it personally as he believed the deal was like Carolina is trying to get rid of him.
What did Christian McCaffrey say about his experience of joining the 49ers?
The ex-Panthers RB Christian McCaffrey opened up to the reporters at the annual Dwight Clark Legacy Series event citing the move of landing in San Francisco as the best thing happened to him till now.
“In hindsight, I firmly believe it’s the best thing that ever happened to me,” he said via Cam Inman of Bay Area News Group.
The 26-year-old noted it takes everyone player’s individual and team effort as a whole to hit the record in the league.
“It takes everybody. This is the biggest team game in the world that gets so much individual attention. You’ve got guys named the G.O.A.T., and this and that. It’s true and it’s great. But no one is anybody without their teammates in this game. That’s what makes it so special. That’s why people watch. That’s why we love to play it.”
McCaffrey’s father, Ed, was part of the 49ers’ Super Bowl-winning team in the 1994 season and he didn’t halt back from taking pride in being a member of his father’s team while citing the franchise as a “family”.
“I say this with the utmost respect, this is a family. It’s the first time I felt like, even alumni, just getting to know these guys, it’s special, it’s different, and there’s a reason it’s sustainable and has been for so long. The word I would use now is, just very proud to be a part of this organization.”
The multiple record breaker became the fastest player to reach 3,000 receiving yards and 3,000 rushing yards in 2021 as well as recorded 11 career games with at least 10 receptions, the most by any RB in the league history. However, the veteran RB became injury-plagued and missed 23 of 33 games during the 2020 and 2021 seasons.
Only time will tell how McCaffrey’s future within San Francisco will unfold, however, his comments have undoubtedly added an intriguing subplot to his career narrative. As he continues to shine in his new environment, fans and pundits alike will closely watch his journey and assess the impact of his decision to join the 49ers as he considers the turning point in his NFL career.
