Kyle Shanahan got the last laugh on this one.
But that joyousness could’ve easily been wiped away had he been bested by his old pal, Sean McVay.
Panthers GM Scott Fitterer said he had three competitive trade offers for McCaffrey and, “It was close, but San Francisco won out.” It is rumored that the Rams were one of those teams in the running for the All-Pro star.
It is unclear who the third team that was attempting to acquire McCaffrey was, although many have clamored for the Buffalo Bills to grab the star running back from Carolina. Regardless, this is a huge boon for the 49ers and Kyle Shanahan, who has been attempting to acquire a top talent like this seemingly every year.
In 2021, the two teams were in intense negotiations to acquire star quarterback Matthew Stafford. In a recent podcast appearance with teammate Jalen Ramsey, Stafford said he had believed he was going to be traded to San Francisco before eventually being moved to the Rams in exchange for Jared Goff and draft compensation.
The Rams narrowly defeated the 49ers in the NFC Championship 2017 earlier in 2022, the two teams compete for almost everything.
After losing in the NFC title game and Super Bowl LIV 31-20 to the Chiefs, Kyle Shanahan is ready to hoist that elusive Lombardy Trophy. The addition of an elite offensive weapon like McCaffrey is the 49ers putting all their chips on the table for a championship this year.