Why the San Francisco 49ers Should Trade Christian McCaffrey

The 49ers look to be headed towards a rebuild. If so, it might be best to trade one of their biggest stars.

Dec 1, 2024; Orchard Park, New York, USA; San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey (23) is tackled by Buffalo Bills safety Taylor Rapp (9) and safety Damar Hamlin (3) in the second quarter at Highmark Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark Konezny-Imagn Images / Mark Konezny-Imagn Images

ESPN's Ryan Clark said what some people were wondering.

"I would absolutely trade Christian McCaffrey," Clark said Wednesday morning on the show Get Up. "I would try to get as much as I could possibly get for him. If you look at what Kyle Shanahan has been able to do, it's run the football. And I know we thought that last year they missed his versatility, but when you trade Kyle Juszczyk, you let some of that versatility go."

There is no denying that the 49ers have endured a tough offseason, parting with many members of the teams that made three consecutive NFC Championship games from 2021-2023 and an appearance in Super Bowl LVIII. Players such as Deebo Samuel, Dre Greenlaw, Talanoa Hufanga and Charvarius Ward are now gone, leaving the 49ers as a shell of their former selves.

So that begs the question. Should the 49ers trade former Stanford Cardinal star, Christian McCaffrey, and truly start from scratch?

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Trading McCaffrey would, on the surface, be a very tough blow to the 49ers as they would lose that piece that made their run game so deadly the past few seasons, and lose a player that was arguably one of the most dynamic in the league when healthy. But, cutting ties with McCaffrey now may not be so bad in the grand scheme of things.

McCaffrey, who will be 29 years old in the 2025 season, is set to make around $16 million dollars this year before his new two-year extension kicks prior to his age-30 campaign, where he will around $19 million.

While he was dominant in both the '22 and '23 seasons, taking home Offensive Player of the Year honors in the latter, McCaffrey is coming off of an injury riddled campaign and with most running backs beginning to decline between 28-30, there is no telling how much longer he will be able to continue his high level of play.

Having to pay a running back all that money when they are approaching 30 could be considered, and with the Niners currently looking to pay quarterback Brock Purdy a hefty penny, trading an aging player like McCaffrey while his value is still at a high level in order to free up some cap space could make things easier.

And if they were to trade McCaffrey, it would signal that the Niners are fully committed to a full scale rebuild. Unable to win a title and going 6-11 last season with one of the NFL's most expensive rosters (ranked at No. 2 according to Spotrac), the Niners may have no choice but to start over given how much money they owe their stars.

Purdy, only 25 years old, is still young enough to be built around, and if the team gives him a big extension, they could start the rebuild around Purdy and give him the chance to really show what he can do. Plus, there would be some sort of a return in a McCaffrey deal, and the 49ers could just collect draft picks to replenish their roster around their QB.

Anything can happen in the NFL, and while McCaffrey is a major reason why the Niners have been so dominant offensively, thinking about the future and how to build a successful team in the long term may be the most important thing for both sides.

Next: Cowboys Sign Former Cardinal