WATCH: San Francisco 49ers trick play leads to Christian McCaffrey throwing touchdown pass
The San Francisco 49ers are finding new ways to use Christian McCaffrey in their offense after he threw a touchdown pass on Sunday. The 49ers traded for the star running back for his addition to their running and receiving games — although his passing ability isn’t something defenses can forget about either.
Christian McCaffrey finds Brandon Aiyuk on touchdown pass
The touchdown was the first score of the game for San Francisco against the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday, and continues to show the depth he provides Kyle Shanahan’s offense.
McCaffrey’s touchdown toss came on a play designed with him starting in the backfield and running out to the sideline behind Jimmy Garappolo for a backwards pass. With McCaffrey catching the ball and open field ahead of him, the cornerback drew in to make a tackle as Brandon Aiyuk passed him by on a deep route. The play also drew in the safety, leaving Aiyuk wide-open for an easy throw and catch for a 34-yard touchdown.
The former Stanford star had actually thrown a touchdown pass before in his NFL career, completing a 50-yard pass for a score in 2018 with the Carolina Panthers.
The 49ers paid a hefty sum to bring in the star running back earlier this year in their major trade. Carolina received a second-round, third-round and fourth-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, as well a a fifth-round pick for 2024.
The Panthers reportedly were fielding heavy interest in trades for McCaffrey before San Francisco secured the deal. One of the major potential landing destinations was the Buffalo Bills, who are looking to bolster their own offense in the midst of a Super Bowl campaign.
Carolina had also traded away Robbie Anderson ahead of the McCaffrey deal, trading him to the Arizona Cardinals after a controversial final game with the team. Anderson got into altercations twice on the sideline with his coaches, and was kicked off the field and into the locker room during their game prior to being traded.