Christian McCaffrey: 'Anger' Was First Emotion After Trade from Panthers to 49ers

Christian McCaffrey went from a struggling team to a Super Bowl contender when he was traded from the Carolina Panthers to the San Francisco 49ers last season, but he initially wasn't very happy with being moved.

"It's a weird deal because there's so many emotions, and the first emotion is probably anger, he said during an appearance on the Bussin' With The Boys podcast (3:45 mark). "Like, you guys don't want me anymore? That's really what it is. You can call it what it is. 'Well, they got a lot for you.' Nah, like you think you're better off without me; that's what it is. … You're pissed off, but then you're excited."

He also said, "I don't know if I've completely decompressed yet from the whole thing."

The rebuilding Panthers did get a lot for him and landed second-, third- and fourth-round picks in 2023 and a fifth-round pick in 2024 in the deal.

Still, McCaffrey was an organizational cornerstone since Carolina selected him with the No. 8 overall pick of the 2017 NFL draft. The two-time Pro Bowler was one of the best players in the league when healthy, as he proved in 2019 with 1,387 rushing yards, 1,005 receiving yards and 19 touchdowns.

That there was some negative emotion involved from the running back when he was traded from the only NFL team he had ever known comes as no surprise, although he made the most of his time in San Francisco last season.

He posted 746 rushing yards, 464 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns in 11 regular season games and then scored three total touchdowns in three playoff games as the 49ers reached the NFC Championship Game.

San Francisco's run came to an end with a loss to the Philadelphia Eagles that came in part because quarterbacks Brock Purdy and Josh Johnson suffered injuries, but the team should be well-positioned to make another deep playoff run again in 2023.

As for the Panthers, they could be one of the teams targeting a quarterback in the upcoming NFL draft as the franchise continues its reset and looks to bounce back from a 7-10 campaign.

McCaffrey may have been angry at first when he was traded, but potentially competing for championships with the 49ers will surely help while he remains under contract through 2025.