Oct 9, 2022; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Carolina Panthers running back Christian McCaffrey (22) tries to elude San Francisco 49ers defensive end Kemoko Turay (53) during the second half at Bank of America Stadium. Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

ESPN delivers bitter truth on Christian McCaffrey trade for the Panthers

Originally posted on Carolina Panthers on SI
By Tim Weaver | Last updated Sep 25, 2025 2:00 PM ET

If the Carolina Panthers are ever going to climb out of this hole of losing seasons, they're going to have to stop handing off their most talented players to other teams. The verdict is still out on the deal that sent D.J. Moore to the Chicago Bears for the No. 1 overall pick, which became Bryce Young. However, plenty of other deals the Panthers have made in recent years have quickly soured.

Perhaps the worst of them was the trade that sent superstar running back Christian McCaffrey to the San Francisco 49ers in the middle of the 2022 NFL season.

In exhange the Panthers got a big haul of draft capital, including second, third, fourth and fifth-round picks in the deal. However, they haven't been able to bank on those assets. According to Bill Barnwell at ESPN, the verdict is a clear win for the 49ers.

ESPN on Christian McCaffrey trade

"The Panthers didn't make much of their picks. They packaged two of them to move up for Johnson, who has one half-sack in three seasons. The second-rounder went to the Bears in the ill-fated move up for Young, and the 2024 pick was involved in the Brian Burns trade. That eventually became part of the Rams' move up for Braden Fiske, with the Panthers trading down and adding Brooks, who has battled knee injuries during his brief pro career."

CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA - OCTOBER 09: Christian McCaffrey #22 of the Carolina Panthers fights off defenders of the San Francisco 49ers during the second half of the game at Bank of America Stadium on October 09, 2022 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by Mike Comer/Getty Images)

The Panthers have since moved on from general manager Scott Fitterer, who engineered that deal as well as several others that have gone bad.

Meanwhile, the 49ers have made two deep playoff runs since the trade, including a trip to the Super Bowl at the end of the 2023 season.

The Panthers have found a new frachise running back with Chuba Hubbard - and while he's a solid starter he's also a significant step down from McCaffrey's level of play.

This article first appeared on Carolina Panthers on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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