CHARLOTTE, N.C. - Carolina Panthers general manager Scott Fitterer insisted the decision to trade running back Christian McCaffrey to the San Francisco 49ers was not about tanking the rest of the season to get the top pick of the 2023 draft.
But Fitterer said Thursday's late-night deal that got Carolina (1-5) three 2023 draft picks (2nd, 3rd, 4th round) and one 2024 draft pick (5th round) opened up a lot of options, including trading up for the top pick if necessary.
It also cleared McCaffrey's 2023 and '24 cap hits of $19,550,750 and 2025 cap hit of $15,450,750 off the books.