Christian McCaffrey was never expected to be a savior for the San Francisco 49ers' 2022 season. However, he was proof that the front office and coaches believe in the roster they built. They opted to go all-in on the season, trading for a luxury piece to the offense because they believe the 49ers can compete for a championship.
The Rams were interested in McCaffrey too, and the 49ers outbid their division rivals. However, general manager John Lynch admitted on KNBR Friday morning that beating out the Rams was never the focus of trade negotiations.
As the conversations with the Carolina Panthers continued, the compensation needed to acquire McCaffrey slowly increased.
"We felt like it was a good gamble," Lynch said on the Murph & Mac show. "He is a game-changing player. I think it was remarkable that he went in and played as well as he did, coming in here on Friday afternoon. We barely got him out to practice on Friday, and there he is, I believe played [22] snaps in the game and was highly productive.
"And we think we're just getting started. I think he's going to be a tremendous fit. I think he already is with his teammates. He's a pro's pro, and he's an extremely talented player, extremely versatile player, and really fits with what we do.
"I think, ultimately, it was too good an opportunity to add a player of his caliber, and we took the shot."
San Francisco ended up sending a 2023 second-rounder, third-rounder, fourth-rounder, and a 2024 fifth-rounder to the Panthers for McCaffrey.
"I think it also speaks to the belief in this team," Lynch said. "Now, we're 3-4 right now, so I'm sure there's a lot of naysayers on that, but we still very much believe in this team ... We're capable of playing with anyone and beating anyone, and we believe he makes us better."
Lynch added, "We feel like we've got the team. We just need to start putting it together, and we feel like Christian can be a catalyst for that. So ultimately, we weighed the price, and we felt like it was worth it for us, and we're pleased to have him."
The general manager said the 49ers plan to keep McCaffrey for a long time. However, there will be some salary-cap "gymnastics" necessary to do that, as McCaffrey is a top-paid running back.
"It's certainly not beyond our means," Lynch noted.
You can listen to the entire conversation with Lynch below.