The San Francisco 49ers have reached an agreement with the Carolina Panthers to trade multiple future NFL draft picks for former Pro-Bowl running back Christian McCaffrey, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter on Thursday.

The 49ers will send their second-, third- and fourth-round picks for 2023 as well as the fifth-rounder for 2024 to the Panthers. The team began to prepare for a rebuild after firing their head coach Matt Rhule in early October. Collecting as many draft picks as possible makes an important part of their efforts.

McCaffrey is the Panthers' most valuable asset to trade for future picks. When he was healthy, he had two 1,000+ rushing yards seasons in the 2018 (1,098 yards) and 2019 (1,387 yards) seasons. He was a second team All-Pro selection in 2018 and named to the Pro Bowl and All-Pro first team in 2019.

McCaffrey only played 10 games in the two seasons since then because of injuries. Having grown relatively healthy this season, he completed 85 carries for 393 yards and two touchdowns as well as 33 catches for 277 yards and one touchdown in six games.

However, the Panthers won only one of the six games, ranking at the bottom of the National Football Conference (NFC) South Division. They have been one of the worst-performing teams in the NFL for years. The last time the team made the playoffs was in the 2017 season when McCaffrey was still a rookie.

The 49ers are a much better destination for McCaffrey on the competition level. The team reached Super Bowl LIV in 2020 (and lost to the Kansas City Chiefs). Last season, they beat the Dallas Cowboys and Green Bay Packers in the postseason to make the NFC Championship game before losing to the Los Angeles Rams, which won Super Bowl LVI in the end.

Currently, the 49ers are leading the NFC West Division with a 3-3 record, over the Rams. The 49ers are hosting the Chiefs at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, California, on October 23.