The San Francisco 49ers made the splash of the 2022 NFL Trade Deadline when sending a package of draft picks to the Carolina Panthers in exchange for star running back Christian McCaffrey, who continued to dominate upon his arrival in the Bay Area.
While the 49ers have valued the running back position more than other teams, given head coach Kyle Shanahan's run-heavy offensive scheme, they've still found a way to cycle through backs at a cost-controlled rate, allowing them to pour resources towards other positions of need, balancing out their roster.
However, that wasn't the case when they made the move for McCaffrey, who had three years and $36 million still remaining on a four-year, $64 million extension signed in 2020.
With the recent trends of teams becoming unwilling to pay running backs, due to the positional value and shorter shelf life of the position, are the 49ers justified in shelling out significant money for a running back, even one the caliber of McCaffrey?
Yesterday, it was reported that a trio of star running backs in Saquan Barkley, Josh Jacobs, and Tony Pollard were all unable to reach long-term deals with their respective teams, meaning that, to play in 2023, they'd have to sign their franchise tag tender.
It marks a recent trend of a dip in value for running backs in the NFL, despite players like Jacobs and Barkley playing predominant roles for their offensive teams, raising questions about the future of the position in regards to second contracts.
In McCaffrey, the 49ers have cap hits of $3.4 million, $14.1 million, and $14.3 million over the next three seasons, with the Stanford product set to hit free agency after his age-29 season.
With the three extra years on his contract, the 49ers are able to hold onto McCaffrey, a key part of their 2022 success, throughout the majority of his prime, but will also have to deal with the injury concerns that have plagued the running back throughout his NFL career.
McCaffrey played all 17 games in 2023 after seeing just 10 games of action over the two prior seasons combined, accumulating 1,210 all-purpose yards in just 10 games with the 49ers, averaging 4.7 yards per carry and over five catches a game.
When on the field, McCaffrey's impact was unquestionable; he was arguably the team's MVP, given how much he opened up the passing game for San Francisco's quarterbacks, while also possessing the ability to be a bell-cow back, although the Stanford product worked well in a timeshare.
McCaffrey's worth will ultimately come down to injuries, but his skillset is a perfect match for the 49ers, and his contract(3 years, $36 million left) is manageable for his value, especially when considering that San Francisco is still carrying a cheap quarterback room.
When you're a rebuilding team or an organization that isn't ready yet to compete for a Super Bowl, it can be tough to justify shelling out a larger contract for a running back, but the 49ers have fielded that competitive roster and have the money to pay McCaffrey, which is why this deal is one of the exceptions at the position.
