SANTA CLARA -- Running back Christian McCaffrey passed his physical upon arriving in the Bay Area from his cross-country flight on Friday morning.
And it did not take long for 49ers general manager John Lynch to witness what kind of impact the team’s newest addition has on his teammates.
“I really believe it gave the locker room a jolt when he walked in there today,” said Lynch, who pulled off the trade that sends four draft picks to the Carolina Panthers for the versatile running back.
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“It was fun to see that dynamic.”
McCaffrey made his way onto the field behind Levi’s Stadium after the 49ers had already started their practice session on Friday. McCaffrey expressed to Lynch his eagerness to get on the field and make an impact, beginning this weekend.
The 49ers face the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday, and McCaffrey has a chance to be active for the game.
“I just brought him in here, got his cleats, got his helmet,” Lynch said. “(He) just got off a plane, passed a physical. It’s a tall order, right?
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“And we’re going to do what’s right by Christian (and) what’s right by our team. I do think that’s a tall order, but we’ll see how much we can accelerate this.”
Lynch said McCaffrey is already asking to play on Sunday.
McCaffrey compared this week to a standard road game. McCaffrey went through practices on Wednesday and Thursday in Carolina before the trade was completed late Thursday night.
The next morning McCaffrey was on a flight to San Jose via private jet.
“He’s scrambling out there to want to get into practice,” said Lynch, who added that McCaffrey had to be advised to go through a proper warmup before doing anything physically demanding on the field.
McCaffrey should be fine physically, but it’s the mental side of taking a crash course in the 49ers’ game plan that is the biggest obstacle toward him making an immediate contribution.
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Lynch described McCaffrey as “a force multiplier.” As important as it is to get McCaffrey on the field as soon as possible, the 49ers (3-3) are not even halfway through their regular season.
“He makes everyone around him better,” Lynch said. “And so we’re going to take it as it comes. We’re not going to force anything.”