“I Just Remember the Elation” – GM John Lynch Reflects on the 1-Year Anniversary of 49ers’ Highly Successful Trade for Franchise Lynchpin

Today marks the first anniversary of one of the most iconic trades in the history of the NFL. Well, at least for the San Francisco 49ers, as the team welcomed one of their most talented players, Christian McCaffrey. However, the same can be said about the Panthers. At that time, getting four picks, three in 2023 and one in the 2024 draft, sounded the best to the team.

However, getting the trade after competing against the Rams for CMC proved an absolute win for the Niners. In exchange for the All-Pro McCaffrey, the Niners gave a 2023 second-round, third-round, and fourth-round pick, along with a 2024 fifth-round pick to the Panthers. The Panthers received skilled players like Bryce Young and DJ Johnson. The puppeteer of the whole trade, 49ers’ John Lynch, revisited the experience like it was yesterday.

John Lynch revisits the trade day

As shared by David Lombardi, the day was nothing less than thrilling for Lynch. Naturally, when you have put so much into acquiring a talented player who fits right into your team in the larger picture, anyone would fist pump in the air. Lynch recalled something similar happening. “I just remember the elation… I was yelling ‘YES’ in my room. My family was like, ‘What was going on?’” The GM added how he broke the news to Shanahan. “I remember letting Kyle know, ‘We got him.’”

When Shanahan addressed the CMC acquisition, he expressed the team’s hesitation in giving the Panthers four draft picks. “You’re always hesitant just because there are risks in everything,” said the Niners head coach. Yet after reaping the sweet rewards of the trade, Shanahan now says, “You look back at it last year, it’s ‘Thank God. How could you even hesitate on anything? It’s a no-brainer.”

How has Christian McCaffrey benefitted the 49ers?

In a nutshell, the Niners hit the jackpot with the McCaffrey trade. The QB quickly climbed the best quarterbacks in the league list with his incredible performance. The QB tied with two Football Hall of Famers, John Riggins and O.J. Simpson, for the second-most games in a row with a touchdown in NFL history, including the postseason.

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Furthermore, CMC has helped the 49ers fuel their regular season winning streak to 15, the longest in NFL history. The Niners also had 15 winning streak during the 1990 Joe Montana era. The real question is: will the Niners repeat their Montana Super Bowl win with McCaffrey this season? Only time will tell.

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