Dual-threat NFL running back Christian McCaffrey is headed from the struggling Carolina Panthers to the San Francisco 49ers, the Panthers said on Thursday.

The 49ers will send second-, third- and fourth-round draft picks in 2023 and a fifth-round selection in 2024 to the Panthers in the deal, said ESPN.

The 26-year-old McCaffrey will be returning to the San Francisco Bay Area, having been a collegiate standout for Stanford.

The 49ers host the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday.

In 2019, McCaffrey became only the third player in NFL history to have 1,000 yards rushing and receiving in the same season.

His 670 yards from scrimmage – a team-leading 393 yards rushing and team-leading 33 catches for 277 yards – this season ranks fourth in the NFL.

His career has been disrupted by injuries that saw him miss 23 of 33 games in the 2020 and 2021 seasons, but he has been healthy so far this campaign.

Chances the Panthers might part with McCaffrey before the November trade deadline had appeared to increase after the franchise fired coach Matt Rhule this month, a day after they were routed 37-15 by the 49ers.

That dropped them to 1-4 and Carolina have since fallen to 1-5.

On the field, the Arizona Cardinals returned two interceptions for touchdowns in the first half to seize control against the New Orleans Saints in a 42-34 NFL victory on Thursday.

Arizona defenders Marco Wilson and Isaiah Simmons picked off Saints quarterback Andy Dalton and raced to the end zone on back-to-back drives that broke open a game that was tied at 14-14. (AFP)