It was clear to Christian McCaffrey on Day 1 just how close the 49ers' locker room is.
After being acquired by San Francisco in a blockbuster trade with the Carolina Panthers on Oct. 20, McCaffrey immediately took the 49ers' offense to the next level, playing a huge role in San Francisco's NFC Championship Game run.
McCaffrey joined the "Bussin' With the Boys" podcast during Super Bowl LVII media week, where he discussed his first impressions of his new team after the midseason trade.
"For me personally, I came in the middle of the year not knowing what was going on," McCaffrey said. "I knew people but didn't know people, which was a weird experience. But you could just tell -- I think there was 22 guys from the [Super Bowl LIV] team that are still on the team, so they set a culture and a standard that have been there for a while. I was just pumped up to join them."
Not only have the 49ers established a culture within their locker room, but the team is as close-knit as any in the league. McCaffrey could tell his new teammates were battle-tested, which ultimately brought them closer together.
"They're so close, man. You can tell they've been through some s--t together," McCaffrey added. "So when I stepped in there it was like just do your job, you don't have to do anything else but your job."
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It didn't take long for the two-time Pro Bowl running back to fit in with his new team. It also didn't take long for him to experience the highs and lows of another failed 49ers championship run.
Heading into the 2023 season, McCaffrey and the 49ers will use the heartache they suffered as motivation for another deep playoff run.