CMC reveals moment he knew 49ers were ‘special team'

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The 49ers knew they had a Super Bowl-caliber roster on their hands during the 2022 NFL season, and trading for Christian McCaffrey made them that much better.

But even the All-Pro running back was a little bit star struck by his new teammates in Santa Clara after arriving from the Carolina Panthers ahead of Week 7.

"You know, I was thrown into the fire pretty quickly, and I think early on in practice when I was in the huddle and I had George Kittle, Deebo Samuel, Trent Williams, Brandon Aiyuk, Kyle Juszczyk, all these guys, I felt like I was on a Pro Bowl roster," McCaffrey told NFL Network's Kyle Brandt on Friday during "Good Morning Football."

"It hit me that this was a special team. I was very fortunate I came to a team that had built a culture, had taken time to build a culture. To add on top of the roster is, in my opinion, some of the best coaches in the NFL and guys who know how to use players like myself and who have been doing it for so long. I just felt very fortunate to be a part of something that was already so developed, so to say."

During the Dwight Clark Legacy Series event May 10 in San Jose, McCaffrey described the midseason trade that sent him to the 49ers as the best thing that ever happened to him. It might have been the best thing to happen to the 49ers, too, as McCaffrey went on to break records and help produce wins as a sparkplug in a San Francisco uniform.

In 11 regular-season games with the 49ers -- 10 as a starter -- McCaffrey averaged 4.7 yards per carry while accruing 746 yards rushing and 464 yards receiving. He recorded 10 total touchdowns before adding on three more during the 49ers' playoff run, and now, McCaffrey and the 49ers hope 2023 is their season after falling to the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC Championship Game.

RELATED: Rice recalls hilarious emotion of receiving CMC touchdown ball

Luckily for the two-time Pro Bowl selection, he has plenty of other stars around him to help get the job done. And that's pretty special.

"I think this is a part of a team that, regardless of what that outcome was, would still be so hungry for more," McCaffrey told Brandt. "The way these guys show up to work every day, and obviously we've all moved on from it now, but definitely still in the back of your head. When you get that close and lose, it definitely fuels a fire and makes you want to get back there again."

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