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San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan had all the jokes after the team traded for Christian McCaffrey from the Carolina Panthers.
To recall, the 49ers and a then newly hired head coach in Shanahan had the chance to draft McCaffrey in the 2017 NFL Draft. They had the third overall pick at the time, but they used it to select McCaffrey's Stanford teammate Solomon Thomas instead. The star running back was then taken by the Panthers with the eighth overall pick.
In hindsight, the Niners should have really just taken McCaffrey. After all, they would have saved a plethora of draft capital in the process. In acquiring the six-year veteran, San Francisco sent four picks (2023 second-, third- and fourth-round picks, 2024 fifth-round pick) to Carolina's way.
Shanahan, however, has a rather hilarious explanation for passing on McCaffrey back then. He joked that it was their plan all along since they predicted to make a run for him over five years later.
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“I told Christian this was our plan all along. We wanted to build a D-line first and then add him five and a half years later,” Kyle Shanahan said, per David Lombardi of The Athletic.
All jokes aside, the 49ers did well in building their defense, that's for sure. They have one of the best defenses in the NFL this 2022 season, which has allowed them to compete for the top spot in the NFC West.
With an improved defense and an elevated offense fueled by Christian McCaffrey, the Niners are definitely looking like Super Bowl contenders. Whether or not they planned it half a decade ago, what matters now is the team looks ready to go all-out.
