SANTA CLARA — It’s not just 49ers fans who are ecstatic about the arrival of Christian McCaffrey in Santa Clara. His new teammates, including Trent Williams, are excited as well.
The All-Pro left tackle has seen a lot in his 13 years in the NFL, but Williams was still happily surprised to hear about the 49ers' ability to acquire one of the most dynamic running backs in the league.
“I just got excited seeing him walk by just now,” Williams said with a laugh after practice Friday. “I had to keep my composure since you had the cameras on me.”
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Williams understands exactly what adding McCaffrey to the offense signals to the rest of the team from the 49ers' front office. It gives the veteran lineman confidence in San Francisco's outlook for the remainder of the season.
“I think it’s a move that lets us know we’re not trying to build, we’re trying to win this year," Williams said. "For us, it gives us the confidence to know that they are all guns blazing in the top office and I think that mindset should bleed down into the locker room."
Williams knows it takes more than the addition of one player to win a Super Bowl, but the potential of what McCaffrey can bring to Kyle Shanahan's offense is difficult to ignore. Williams can’t wait to see what his head coach will be able to dial up on the offense with the ex-Panther as an option.
Williams saw the dual-threat ball carrier record 104 all-purpose yards when the 49ers visited Carolina in Week 5. The 49ers walked out of Bank of America Stadium with a win, but McCaffrey carried the ball 14 times for 54 yards and had a rushing touchdown. He also caught seven of his 12 targets for 50 yards.
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Through six games this season, the Stanford product led the Panthers in both rushing yards (277) and receiving yards (393). Williams believes McCaffrey ultimately was a one-man show in Carolina and now, with a talented supporting cast that includes Deebo Samuel, Brandon Aiyuk and George Kittle, they sky is the limit.
“We understand the game of football and we know that just having a roster doesn’t make you win games on Sunday,” Williams said. “But it is hard to not expect him to do well because we had a chance to see him up close and personal two weeks ago. He didn’t have much help but he was a handful, especially for our defense that is playing some of the best football in the league.
“You get him over here you can only imagine with better personnel around him, in this organization, that he can do some of the same things we’ve been seeing him do.”
RELATED: McCaffrey among 49ers to watch vs. Chiefs
It is still uncertain if McCaffrey will suit up for Sunday's game against the Kansas City Chiefs at Levi's Stadium, but what the ball carrier will be able to bring on the field going forward is the known quantity that has brought an energy boost to the 49ers' locker room.