Christian McCaffrey on trade to 49ers: 'It's the best thing that ever happened to me'
When Christian McCaffrey was traded, it was unsettling. He’s now settled in.
It wasn't a full year ago that Christian McCaffrey was traded to the San Francisco 49ers, but since then, the All-Pro level running back has found a new home in the scarlet and gold.
Back in October, when McCaffrey heard the news that he was traded, it didn't sit well with him. But since the trade and the subsequent playoff run, McCaffrey has now found that being traded was in fact the best thing to ever happen to him in his career.
"In hindsight, I firmly believe it's the best thing that ever happened to me," McCaffrey said, via Cam Inman of The Mercury News.
McCaffrey's half-season with the Niners produced the deepest player run he's ever experienced in his NFL career. Playing in the NFC championship game was something he hadn't done since being drafted in 2017.
However, what stood out more than the winning was the friendship he developed with his teammates.
"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," he said. "The word I would use now is, just very proud to be a part of this organization."
Since the trade, the Niners have only continued their dominance at the top of the NFC. With McCaffrey, Niners head coach Kyle Shanahan has also enjoyed offensive creativity with a running back that can catch passes out of the backfield, run between the tackles, and function as an ultimate swiss-army knife in the face of an NFL that requires versatility out of offenses in order to succeed.
"It makes it easier. It calms your mind a little bit. You don't have to make as much stuff up," Shanahan said. "Everyone is, 'Oh you got him now. How creative are you going to be?' It's like, um, you don't have to be as creative … The defense has got to help the guy guarding him. That's where it gets cool. That's what I love so much about Christian."
In the end, McCaffrey playing for the Niners is a win-win circumstance, which is rare in the NFL.
