Niners RB Christian McCaffrey reflects on trade, remains thankful to play under Kyle Shanahan

HENDERSON, Nev. -- Christian McCaffrey spoke Wednesday of needing to clear a rare statistical milestone to have a serious shot at MVP.

The landmark in mind: A 1,000-1,000 season. He's done it once during his days in Carolina, but by the time the 2022 trade deadline approached, he knew his days as a Panther were numbered. No one was celebrating his achievements in Charlotte. Instead, they were bracing for his departure.

Fast-forward to February 2024, where McCaffrey finds himself as a leading figure for the 49ers, preparing to play in his first Super Bowl. It's a place he likely wouldn't have reached had his services been acquired by a team other than San Francisco. And with the trade now behind him, he couldn't be more grateful for how it all played out.

"I didn't envision anything, I'm telling you I was just mindless and I was like whenever I get the call, I get the call," McCaffrey explained Wednesday. "My agent called me and said, 'You're going to San Fran.' I was like all right, let's go.

"Got on a plane Friday morning, this is like 11:30 at night, got on a plane Friday morning, landed, did my physical and I practiced Friday for the San Francisco 49ers. And I played Sunday, ironically against the Kansas City Chiefs."

Kansas City is once again McCaffrey's opponent in a significant moment in his career. This time, though, the stakes are much higher. And with a year and a half spent playing under Kyle Shanahan, he feels he's in a great spot.

Part of this is because he had history with the Shanahan family. His father, Ed, had played for Kyle's father, Mike, in both San Francisco and Denver, winning three Super Bowls along the way.

The younger McCaffrey and Shanahan have known each other for decades. And in just their first full