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Why the 49ers Should Trade Christian McCaffrey this Offseason

Originally posted on San Francisco 49ers on SI
By Grant Cohn | Last updated Feb 1, 2026 12:01 PM ET

What would Bill Walsh do?

That's a question the 49ers should ask themselves every offseason. He built the 49ers into a dynasty. And he believed that it was better to get rid of a player a year too soon rather than a year too late.

If Bill Walsh were alive and coaching the 49ers, Christian McCaffrey would not be their running back anymore. Walsh would have traded him, the way the 49ers traded Joe Montana to the Kansas City Chiefs in 1993.

The current 49ers are much more sentimental. They seem to feel certain players have earned the right to finish their careers with this franchise, older players such as George Kittle, Kyle Juszczyk, Trent Williams and McCaffrey.

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It's clear why the 49ers are hanging onto these players. With the exception of the fullback, they all used to be great, and they helped the team reach the Super Bowl. But they're declining. And it's too late to trade George Kittle, because he tore his Achilles tendon this past month and signed a huge extension last offseason.

Which brings us back to McCaffrey. He missed most of 2024 with bilateral Achilles tendonitis, but he never suffered a rupture. He avoided that major injury, at least for now. And in 2025, he was the Iron Man of the 49ers offense, suiting up in all 19 games and touching the ball a whopping 450 times.

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By the end of the season, McCaffrey seemed worn down. He left the 49ers' divisional playoff lost to the Seahawks briefly with a stinger. If the 49ers somehow had won that game, it's unclear how much McCaffrey would have been able to contribute the rest of the season.

Now, McCaffrey is just a few months away from turning 30. He's still a good receiver, but he's not particularly efficient as a runner anymore -- that's why the 49ers ranked 30th out of 32 teams in yards per carry this season. If they're going to revive their running game, they'll need a new running back.

Which is why the 49ers should trade McCaffrey this offseason. Don't wait. Trade him while his value is at its highest. It won't be higher next season when he's pushing 31. And it's highly unlikely that he'll stay healthy two seasons in a row, particularly after carrying such an overwhelming load in 2025.

If the 49ers can get a second-round pick for McCaffrey, they should take it and not think twice. Even a third-rounder would good enough.

What would Bill Walsh do?

This article first appeared on San Francisco 49ers on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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