Christian McCaffrey to 49ers suggests team believes Jimmy Garoppolo can lead them to Super Bowl, claims Colin Cowherd
In a late Thursday night surprise, it was announced that the San Francisco 49ers made a trade for Carolina Panthers running back Christian McCaffrey. Most heard the news for the first time from Al Michaels on Thursday Night Football, but it was Adam Schefter who broke the news.
Speaking on 'The Herd with Colin Cowherd' podcast, Cowherd stated that the 49ers believe they can win the Super Bowl and just need a little more ammunition.
"This is another sign that the 49ers believe they're a Super Bowl team with Jimmy Garoppolo. They've already given up three first-round picks for Trey Lance. They're giving up more picks for Christian McCaffrey. You do that, you're putting your chips all-in. Meaning, this GM and this coach believe this is a Super Bowl team..."
Stunner: Panthers are trading Pro-Bowl RB Christian McCaffrey to the San Francisco 49ers in exchange for draft picks, sources tell ESPN.
McCaffrey returns to the Bay Area, where he attended Stanford. https://t.co/R474r3eSkv
He continued, claiming the acquisition was a message that they're a win-now team:
"They're telling you, 'We're not worried about the future.' This is a Super Bowl-winning team with Jimmy Garoppolo playing quarterback. You don't give up more draft capital because you think you could [just] make the playoffs."
-Jimmy Garoppolo (2017)
-Emmanuel Sanders (2019)
-Jordan Willis (2020)
-Charles Omenihu (2021)
-Christian McCaffrey (2022)
Every 49ers' pre-trade deadline move under Lynch and Shanahan has paid off so far, except for McCaffrey obviously — still TBD there. Can SF go 5-for-5?
San Francisco 49ers' windy road to win-now, including Christian McCaffrey trade
Since Trey Lance was drafted in early 2021, the San Francisco 49ers have been in a murky spot at quarterback. At first, it was expected that Jimmy Garoppolo would only remain the starter for a few games, just long enough for Lance to get comfortable. Instead, the quarterback held on to the starting role through the season.
In the offseason, pundits and fans expected the quarterback to be traded or released as soon as he healed from post-season surgery. Instead, he stuck around.
When Trey Lance was knocked out for the season, Garoppolo reclaimed the starting role. Now, after the Christian McCaffrey trade, most agree with Cowherd and believe that the quarterback has reclaimed his starting job for good.
If any of the above quotes are used, please credit the Herd with Colin Cowherd Podcast and H/T Sportskeeda.