6 NFL Teams That Should Trade for Christian McCaffrey

Image via Getty/Kathryn Riley

It’s the deal everyone’s talking about.

After adding Von Miller, the Bills may have finally leapfrogged the Chiefs as the AFC’s best squad. Though the Bills are the Super Bowl favorites, their running game could use some help. It’s not that the Bills’ rushing attack is bad – especially given the running abilities of Allen – but, ranked No. 17 in the league, it could be better. Devin Singletary has looked good this season, but backups James Cook and Zack Moss have struggled at times. 

Further, McCaffrey is well-connected in the Bills’ organization. Buffalo’s leadership has ample ties to Carolina (Brandon Beane, Sean McDermott, Ken Dorsey, Joe Brady, and Mike Shula).

That said, the Bills’ cap situation makes this deal unlikely. It’s also hard to imagine the Bills would be willing to accommodate Carolina’s high asking price, which reportedly includes multiple first-round draft picks.

The Bills and Chiefs, led by Josh Allen (Bills) and Patrick Mahomes (Chiefs), have had memorable playoff matchups each of the past two years, and they had an equally epic matchup Sunday. The rivals looked poised for another showdown in the postseason. Though there are other AFC contenders – we haven’t forgotten about you, Ravens and Chargers – Kansas City and Buffalo look like the best of the best.

Sunday’s matchup was as close as they come, but the Bills came out on top…and the game was in Kansas City. This – coupled with the possibility of Buffalo actually acquiring CMC – may prompt the Chiefs’ leadership to make a move. Kansas City has a decent stable of backs, but Mahomes’ offense would receive an unquestionable upgrade with CMC.

Kansas City lost its most dynamic weapon this summer when Tyreek Hill took his talents to South Beach. The Chiefs seemingly need a bit of juice to overtake Buffalo. Imagine the possibilities with McCaffrey inserted into Andy Reid’s offense. Reid knows how to use dynamic backs – look at his history with LeSean McCoy, Jamaal Charles, and Kareem Hunt, among others.

The first three teams on our list are the three Super Bowl favorites. The Eagles have taken a big step forward this year. They’re 6-0, with a +56 point differential, second only to the Bills. Jalen Hurts is in the mix with Allen and Mahomes for MVP. We see you, Jalen Hurts!

You might think the Eagles are set at RB, given that they have Miles Sanders, who’s No. 4 in the league in rushing yards. And you’d probably be right. The Eagles may not need to make a move…but it could help. If this is the year, why not go all-in?

Sanders will be an unrestricted free agent this offseason, so his future is uncertain. And Philly has long coveted McCaffrey; the Eagles gave serious thought to drafting him in 2017. He was selected, however, before they had the chance. (Instead, they made a move for Jay Ajayi, who failed to live up to expectations.)

Philly fans are fired up about the team’s title prospects. This team is clearly a contender, but the Eagles could become the contender with a Hurts-McCaffrey backfield sending shivers down defenders’ spines.

Speaking of Jay Ajayi, would Miami make sense for McCaffrey? The Dolphins have had a tough season. At one point, they were 3-0 and fresh off a thrilling win over the Bills. But Tua Tagovailoa was injured (in troubling fashion), the Dolphins have lost three straight, and now their season is uncertain.

Tua is preparing to start again this week, and all hope is certainly not lost for Miami. The Fins are currently No. 9 in the AFC (two spots out of the playoffs), but there’s plenty of time for them to overtake the Jets and other competitors in the wild-card mix. When the Fins have been good this season, they’ve been really good…like, even-better-than-Buffalo good. The two-headed monster of Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle? That’s something serious.

Yet Miami has the third-worst rushing attack in the league. First-year head coach Mike McDaniel was San Francisco’s rushing coordinator for five years, but he’s been limited by a dearth of talent in the backfield. The AFC East, which is currently log-jammed, would get even more interesting with McCaffrey in McDaniel’s offense.

This season hasn’t gone as planned for the Broncos. Denver acquired Russell Wilson in a huge trade with Seattle in March, and Wilson signed a king-size contract extension with his new team in September. 

While Seattle is a surprising 3-3 – and Geno Smith (Geno Smith?!) is considered a fringe MVP candidate – Denver is a disappointing 2-4. Wilson has struggled at times as he adapts to a new offense, but the blame can’t be placed entirely on his shoulders. Denver’s running game, ranked No. 19, hasn’t helped Wilson. An ACL tear has Javonte Williams out for the season, and 29-year-old Melvin Gordon has fumbled four times. At halftime of the Broncos’ narrow loss to the Chargers this past weekend, Gordon was benched for Latavius Murray and Mike Boone.

McCaffrey could breathe new life into this team, giving Wilson some much-needed help. A deal with Denver would also mean seeing the name “McCaffrey” on a Broncos jersey again, which would just be cool. That said, this possibility, like that of Buffalo, is unlikely. Denver already gave up its 2023 first- and second-round picks to acquire Wilson.

Speaking of quarterbacks who need help! The Rams’ rushing attack, fueled by Cam Akers and Darrell Henderson Jr., is languishing, averaging a weak 70.5 rushing YPG. And Matt Stafford is being eaten alive, with L.A.’s paltry protection failing to give him time in the pocket.

The Rams’ addition of Allen Robinson, who signed with L.A. in March, hasn’t offered the boost we expected, and it seems Stafford only trusts Cooper Kupp and Tyler Higbee. The Rams would squeak into the playoffs if the season ended today…but the emphasis is on squeak.

If something doesn’t change, this Rams season won’t amount to much. Even if L.A. makes the playoffs, we’d expect a quick exit. But what if Sean McVay can integrate Christian McCaffrey into his offense? Oh, that could be a different story. McVay could recycle some of his tactics from the Gurley glory years, and with a threat lining up in the backfield, Stafford might start resembling his 2021 self again.

Rams offensive assistant Jake Peetz, a new addition this year, was Carolina’s RBs coach in 2019, and he helped McCaffrey to a career year. L.A. fans are expecting the franchise to target a running back in next year’s draft, but given Stafford’s age (34), the Rams might make a move to get a back now. They do not have much 2023 draft capital, however, so they’d need to get creative.