The future of Christian McCaffrey at the Carolina Panthers looked up in the air for a while, and the San Francisco 49ers didn’t sleep. On Thursday, the Niners pulled off a shocking trade that sends the star running back to the Bay area.
With McCaffrey on board, San Francisco strengthens its offense with a key weapon to improve its running game. Meanwhile, the All Pro RB joins a team with Super Bowl aspirations.
Though McCaffrey’s trade happened just before the final practice for the Chiefs game, many wonder whether he’ll suit up for the Niners in Week 7 on Sunday. According to Kyle Shanahan, the team is not ready to confirm anything yet.
Kyle Shanahan doesn’t rule out Christian McCaffrey for Chiefs game
“I’m still up in the air whether we’re going to be able to get him here for Sunday or not,” 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan said, via 49ersWebzone.com. “I know for sure he’ll be here the following Sunday. But that’s kind of why I’m in a wait-and-see approach right now.”
Shanahan said that even though McCaffrey didn’t participate in practice on Friday, he’s not concerned about his physical condition because he did train during the week with his former team. Meanwhile, the RB is willing to play this weekend.
McCaffrey excited to join 49ers, wants to play Sunday
“You can learn a lot in two days. … I’ll leave that up to them,” McCaffrey said, via 95.7 The Game. “It’s one of the most explosive offenses in the league. … How you could not wanna play here as an offensive weapon. I’m fired up.”
McCaffrey’s arrival certainly gives the Niners more reasons for optimism, as they’ll have in him a dual threat running back. It remains to be seen how he settles in his new team, but the outlook is encouraging.