NFL Insider Suggests 49ers Should Trade Christian McCaffrey

The San Francisco 49ers are undergoing some serious changes this offseason. The amount of players that have departed so far has been well documented, as key pieces have been jettisoned from both sides of the ball. One NFL pundit believes that they should commit to a full rebuild, and that apparently includes trading star running back Christian McCaffrey.

NFL Analyst Suggests That 49ers Continue Their Roster Purge

Things got started when San Francisco traded Deebo Samuel to the Washington Commanders back on March 1st. The former All-Pro and fan favorite was shipped off after his production waned last season, a move that the 49ers made to cut costs. But the dominos really began to fall on the first day of free agency, when it was made clear that some of the most recognizable names on the roster wouldn’t be returning for 2025.

Defensive players like Dre Greenlaw, Charvarious Ward, Javon Hargrave, and Talanoa Hufanga all agreed to contracts with new teams on Monday. Offensive line depth took a hit, as Aaron Banks and Jaylon Moore departed, as well. Later in the day, the team announced that they would be releasing nine-time Pro Bowl fullback Kyle Juszczyk.

There has been a level of panic among 49ers fans, as it was just over a year ago when their team was favored to win Super Bowl 58. How could one of the top teams in the NFL in recent years crumble so quickly?

Could Christian McCaffrey Be Up For A Trade?

“I would absolutely trade Christian McCaffrey. … If you’re going to rebuild, rebuild completely.” 👀

—@Realrclark25 on the 49ers’ offseason outlook pic.twitter.com/Zu3vZaEMrY

— Get Up (@GetUpESPN) March 12, 2025

At least one NFL insider believes that they should continue their purge. On Wednesday’s episode of Get Up! on ESPN, former player and current analyst Ryan Clark suggested that the 49ers trade Christian McCaffrey in order to go full throttle on their rebuild. The release of Juszczyk changes the dynamic of the running game, Clark suggested, and San Francisco could potentially benefit from changing their entire scheme as well as from the pieces that they’d receive in return for McCaffrey.

Christian McCaffrey has twice led the NFL in both scrimmage yards and touchdowns, most recently in 2023 when he finished third in MVP voting. But the soon-to-be 29-year-old has plenty of mileage on his body having started his career at age 21, and is nearing 2,000 total touches in his career. The fatigue began to show last season, when he was only able to play in four total games due to lingering tendonitis in both of his Achilles.

Before the Eagles made Saquon Barkley the highest paid running back in terms of annual salary earlier in the off-season, McCaffrey held the title after signing an extension in 2024. Barkley now earns $20.6 million per year, just ahead of McCaffrey’s figure of $19 million. The next-highest is Jonathan Taylor at $14 million.