Christian McCaffrey

Panthers Not Looking To Trade Christian McCaffrey, D.J. Moore, Brian Burns

October 11th, 2022 at 5:21pm CST by Sam Robinson

Early in the fallout from Matt Rhule‘s firing, reports emerged pointing the Panthers to a potential firesale. A day later, a Carolina potential trade-block flood seems less likely.

The Panthers are not actively shopping Christian McCaffrey, according to The Athletic’s Jeff Howe (subscription required). Multiple reports indicated the former All-Pro running back would be a name to monitor ahead of the Nov. 1 deadline, and while Tuesday’s latest does not slam the door on McCaffrey being moved, Howe notes the team wants to build around its young core rather than dismantle it.

This does not mean interest has not come in. Teams have inquired about wideout D.J. Moore and edge rusher Brian Burns, according to SI.com’s Albert Breer. The Panthers have not shown a willingness to part with either starter, Breer adds, but these two names have generated the most interest thus far.

Additionally, the Bills have not contacted the Panthers regarding McCaffrey’s availability, Howe notes. Run by ex-Carolina staffers Brandon Beane and Sean McDermott, Buffalo has acquired many former Panthers. But a move to land the $16MM-per-year back, months after drafting James Cook in the second round, may be a bridge too far for now.

Carolina just extended Moore — on a three-year, $61.88MM deal — and have expressed a desire to pay Burns, who will enter his fifth-year option season in 2023. Both players were acquired before Rhule arrived, even though the since-fired HC signed off on Moore’s extension this March. Although Carolina’s quarterback issues have restrained its passing attack, Moore, 25, has continued to produce. He topped 1,100 receiving yards in each season from 2019-21. This year, however, the former first-round pick’s stats are down (197 yards through five games). Burns, 24, has four sacks and six QB hits. He will be on track to become one of the league’s highest-paid edge defenders come 2023, and it looks like the Panthers want to be the team authorizing that contract.

Neither interim HC Steve Wilks nor new Panthers defensive play-caller Al Holcomb were in place when either player was drafted. Ditto GM Scott Fitterer. But it would still surprise to see Carolina deal away two mid-20s cornerstones this season. Doing so would indeed signal David Tepper signing off on a full-scale rebuild.

McCaffrey is currently healthy, marking his longest run of availability during the 2020s. Injuries sidetracked the former top-10 pick’s career following his dominant 2019 season — one that set him up for the still-market-topping extension he signed in April 2020 — but the sixth-year back obviously remains one of the Panthers’ best players. McCaffrey, 26, is not on his 2019 pace (2,392 yards from scrimmage), posting only 512 scrimmage yards in five games. But his health has certainly brought better news compared to his previous two seasons — when the second-generation pro missed 23 games.

The team restructured McCaffrey’s deal, reducing his 2022 base salary to barely $1MM, and listened to trade inquiries this offseason. Given McCaffrey’s health history, the team’s willingness to do a deal and the kind of offers that come in will be interesting as the deadline nears. For now, however, the Panthers are sitting tight with CMC. Three more seasons remain on McCaffrey’s contract. His salaries spike to $11.8MM (in 2023 and ’24) and $12MM (2025).

Panthers’ Post-Rhule Fallout: Termination, Replacement, Trades

October 10th, 2022 at 10:04pm CST by Ely Allen

The NFL news circuit was set ablaze today when news broke of the firings of Panthers head coach Matt Rhule and defensive coordinator Phil Snow. The termination of Rhule was not necessarily a surprise, as he’s been firmly on the hot seat all year and the possibility of firing Rhule had been discussed “well before” today, according to Josina Anderson of CBS Sports, but it did create a newsworthy fallout of information that is of interest to those who follow the sport.

Many have talked about the contract implications of Rhule’s termination, alluding to the millions of dollars still remaining on his contract. While it’s completely applicable to Rhule’s situation, it doesn’t sound like it is a concern to Carolina. Ian Rapoport of NFL Network tweeted out that “Carolina is on the hook for this season, but the salaries for the ensuing seasons are offset by what his future college job pays him.” Essentially, Rhule will absolutely get his guaranteed money, but the onus won’t be on Carolina to pay it. Whenever Rhule, who is presumed to be a top college coaching candidate for next year, gets another job, his salary from the new school will offset the amount the Panthers owe him.

It was also announced that Panthers defensive passing game coordinator & secondary coach Steve Wilks will sub in as the interim head coach for the remainder of the season. The defensive-minded former head coach of the Cardinals has apparently already begun to make the team his own. When Panthers owner David Tepper was asked why Snow was fired, he reportedly pointed the finger at Wilks, telling reporters to direct that question to the interim head coach, according to ESPN’s David Newton.

Here are a few more fallout items from today, starting with some ideas on Rhule’s replacement:

The biggest nugget to come out of today concerning Carolina is that, as most NFL executives expected Rhule to lose his job, many in league circles are expecting the Panthers to start dealing veteran assets in an attempt to accrue draft capital that might make the head coaching position more attractive, according to Jason La Canfora of the Washington Post. The Panthers currently only hold four draft picks for 2023: first-, second-, fourth-, and fifth-round picks, supporting the idea that trading away veterans could improve their current situation. Trading away veterans with expensive contracts, such as star running back Christian McCaffrey or wide receiver Robbie Anderson, could prove troublesome, according to La Canfora, so the Panthers are reportedly willing to eat some of those salaries in order to facilitate moving those assets. Early reports claimed that the Bills have reached out about McCaffrey and that they did in the offseason, as well, according to Person, but Tom Pelissero of NFL Network clarified that, while every team will be calling about McCaffrey, the Panthers haven’t engaged in any trade talks yet. In addition to McCaffrey and Anderson, Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports expects wide receiver D.J. Moore, defensive end Brian Burns, and defensive tackle Derrick Brown to be on the table.
Jeff Howe of The Athletic posed the question today of who might replace Rhule and offered quite a few suggestions. Howe started the list with Cowboys defensive coordinator Dan Quinn who took the Falcons to the Super Bowl as head coach in 2016. Next, he mentioned 49ers defensive coordinator DeMeco Ryans. Ryans interviewed for the Vikings’ job this offseason and was expected to interview for the Raiders’, as well. The 38-year-old has rocketed up coaching boards since retiring as a player in 2015. Another name mentioned was Eagles defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon who also interviewed for the Vikings last year, in addition to the Texans and Broncos. Howe went into great detail on every candidate, seeming to list anybody who may be up for a head coaching job in the next few seasons. His list included former NFL head coaches including the retired Sean Payton, Steelers senior defensive assistant and linebackers coach Brian Flores, Bills defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier, and former Colts and Lions head coach Jim Caldwell, as well as the current interim head coach, Wilks. Other serious candidates Howe mentioned were Rams defensive coordinator Raheem Morris, Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy, Eagles offensive coordinator Shane Steichen, Patriots inside linebackers coach Jerod Mayo, and Raiders defensive coordinator Patrick Graham. The list essentially devolved into an article about anybody who may make the jump to NFL head coach in the next few seasons, pointing out “wait and see” candidates such as Rams offensive coordinator Liam Coen, Ravens offensive coordinator Greg Roman, Buccaneers offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich, Bengals defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo, Bills offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey, Giants offensive coordinator Mike Kafka, Dolphins offensive coordinator Frank Smith, Cowboys offensive coordinator Kellen Moore, Broncos defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero, Jaguars defensive coordinator Mike Caldwell, and Giants defensive coordinator Don “Wink” Martindale.
One interesting name that came out of today’s rumors was former Panthers All-Pro linebacker Luke Kuechly. Joe Person of The Athletic advised that an eye be kept on Kuechly, who remains close with Wilks and new defensive coordinator Al Holcomb, to come back in some capacity. After retiring from a pro scout position last year, Kuechly has been working as an analyst on Panthers radio broadcasts.

Christian McCaffrey A Trade Candidate?

October 4th, 2022 at 10:52pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Panthers are off to a slow start, and Baker Mayfield ranks last (by a considerable margin) in QBR exiting Week 4. Rumors of Matt Rhule‘s Carolina exit continue to swirl.

Christian McCaffrey‘s name is now coming up in trade rumors again. The former All-Pro running back should be monitored ahead of the trade deadline, according to various NFL executives (via the Washington Post’s Jason La Canfora). McCaffrey remains attached to the four-year, $64MM extension he signed in 2020. Nearly 2 1/2 years after it was finalized, McCaffrey’s deal still tops the running back market.

Although McCaffrey’s AAV leads the field at the position, the Panthers restructured his contract in March. As a result, CMC’s 2022 base salary checks in at just $1MM. An acquiring team would be on the hook for that figure, along with the remaining three years of this contract. Those would morph into nonguaranteed years for an acquiring team, though the deal does include lofty future base salaries of $11.8MM (2023 and ’24) and $12MM (2025). The Panthers would take on some dead money this year and next.

Potentially seeking to add draft capital for their post-Rhule period, the Panthers could be open to taking on some of McCaffrey’s money. Two GMs informed La Canfora the Panthers would likely be prepared to take on some salary to move McCaffrey “and others” to stockpile future assets. It would be interesting if the Panthers would eat any part of McCaffrey’s 2023 salary to move him. As of now, the Panthers would be hit with $7.6MM in dead money by trading McCaffrey before the Nov. 1 deadline.

Carolina being willing to pick up some of CMC’s future salary would stand to make him a more valuable commodity, and teams have called on the sixth-year back before. Rhule called McCaffrey to inform him he was not part of the Panthers’ Deshaun Watson trade talks before last year’s deadline, but the team listened as CMC trade interest came in this year. The Panthers wanted a first-round pick and a cap-friendly player for McCaffrey in March; that would be a tough ask given the ex-Stanford superstar’s injury history. But if the Panthers continue to struggle, McCaffrey’s name could continue to circulate.

Rhule authorized the record-setting payment to McCaffrey, a Dave Gettlemen-era draftee. Owner David Tepper was not in place when the Panthers selected McCaffrey eighth overall, but he obviously greenlit the extension. McCaffrey, 26, has battled extensive injury issues in the years since. After multiple maladies led to the second-generation NFLer playing in just 10 games between the 2020 and ’21 seasons, however, he has played in each of Carolina’s four contests this year. McCaffrey has two 100-yard rushing games thus far this season, and after he missed practices due to a quadriceps injury last week, the dual-threat back caught nine passes for 81 yards and a touchdown in Carolina’s Week 4 loss.

David Johnson was part of a trade that sent DeAndre Hopkins to Arizona, but running back trade hauls do not generally produce much. The only other back to be traded for even a third-round pick over the past eight years was Duke Johnson, who fetched a third-rounder in going from the Browns to the Texans in 2019. In-season Dolphins deals sending away Jay Ajayi and Kenyan Drake respectively produced fourth- and fifth-round compensation. Then again, backs of McCaffrey’s caliber are not readily available. While a first-round pick along the lines of the price the Colts paid the Browns for Trent Richardson during the 2013 season would be difficult to envision, McCaffrey would still generate considerable interest — if he can remain healthy.

Of course, Rhule fighting to keep his job would seemingly put CMC trade talks on hold. It would be quite odd if the Panthers dealt one of their best players with their coach on perhaps the NFL’s hottest seat. Then again, La Canfora adds some within the organization are sensing a game of chicken between Rhule and Tepper.

Rhule signed a monster contract in 2020 (seven years, $62MM), which will leave Tepper on the hook for a rare sum if he fires his third-year HC. Rhule, 47, will also be a candidate for high-profile college vacancies, given his success crafting turnarounds at Temple and Baylor. Rhule being axed before the trade deadline would make a McCaffrey trade more logical. Going into Week 5 — against a No. 1-ranked 49ers defense — the Panthers’ Rhule-Mayfield-McCaffrey setup remains intact.

Latest On Panthers RB Christian McCaffrey

October 2nd, 2022 at 12:12pm CST by Ben Levine

OCTOBER 2: McCaffrey is indeed expected to play against the Cardinals in Week 4, per Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link).

OCTOBER 1: Despite McCaffrey not practicing at all this week, there remains a “strong chance” that he will be able to play on Sunday, as noted by Aaron Wilson of Pro Football Network. Quarterback Baker Mayfield echoed the uncertainty surrounding the situation, however, so McCaffrey’s status could ultimately come down to game time.

SEPTEMBER 29: Christian McCaffrey was out of practice once again today, but there’s optimism that he’ll take the field this weekend. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reports (via Twitter) that the Panthers believe there’s still a chance that their star RB will play on Sunday against the Cardinals.

McCaffrey suffered a quad injury during Sunday’s win over the Saints. He was also listed on last week’s injury report with ankle stiffness, but it’s uncertain if that ailment contributed to his latest injury. When asked about the injury, offensive coordinator Ben McAdoo refused to say if his starting running back will play this weekend.

“Obviously, Christian is a special player, right?” McAdoo said (via ESPN’s David Newton). “He’s one of the best players in the league. We’ll take into consideration whether we have him or whether we don’t. That’s obviously up to the medical team and coach, but we’ll be ready for them if we do have him and we’ll be ready for them if we don’t.”

The two-time All-Pro has dealt with his fair share of injuries throughout his career, and he’s missed 22 games over the past two years. When he’s on the field, he’s one of the most explosive players in the NFL, and he’s shown that in his three games this season. So far this year, McCaffrey has 300 yards from scrimmage and one touchdown on 60 touches.

Chuba Hubbard got 10 starts as a rookie while filling in for McCaffrey, and he’d likely see a significant role if his teammate is inactive. The Panthers are also rostering D’Onta Foreman, who started three games for Tennessee last season in place of Derrick Henry.

Injury Notes: Mac, Williams, Julio, CMC

September 28th, 2022 at 9:38pm CST by Ely Allen

Patriots quarterback Mac Jones has decided to seek a second opinion on his high ankle sprain, according to Mike Giardi of NFL Network. After sustaining the injury on the final offensive play of the team’s loss to the Ravens this week, Jones underwent an MRI to determine the severity of the sprain. It is expected, with the resulting diagnosis, that Jones will have to miss some time.

Jones will go to Dr. Martin O’Malley of the New York Hospital for Special Surgery. O’Malley is the team orthopedist for the Brooklyn Nets, the Team Physician for USA Basketball and Iona University Athletics, and the foot and ankle consultant for the Giants and the New York City Ballet. He notably worked recently on cornerback J.C. Jackson‘s ankle surgery, as well as basketball star Kevin Durant’s Achilles surgery in 2019.

Here’s a few more injury rumors from around the league, starting with an update on one of the Jets’ top defenders:

Jets linebacker Quincy Williams has also been diagnosed with a high ankle sprain, according to Brian Costello of the New York Post. Williams’ high ankle sprain appears to be a bit less severe than Jones’, as head coach Robert Saleh reported that Williams is currently week-to-week.
Buccaneers wide receiver Julio Jones was reportedly a game-time decision to play this past weekend, but ended up spending the game on the sideline. It appears that Jones could have contributed, but Tampa Bay decided to hold him out, according to Greg Auman of The Athletic. Head coach Todd Bowles broke the news, saying, “I just know he could have played (but) we held him out. We want to make sure he’s healthy and he’ll probably be back out there next week.”
Fantasy football managers of Panthers running back Christian McCaffrey have resumed sweating. The star weapon for Carolina missed practice today with a thigh injury. According to Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports, the injury has caused a bit of concern for the Panthers, more so than the “previous nicks” that have been reported throughout the season. He’s been able to play through every injury so far this year, but Jones makes it seem like his Week 4 status could be in jeopardy. McCaffrey hasn’t played in all of Carolina’s regular season games since 2019, appearing in 13 games total during the three seasons since. Rumors of an injury being “concerning” is the last thing the Panthers want to hear about McCaffrey. Chuba Hubbard is likely to fill McCaffrey’s role for any potentially missed time, while D’Onta Foreman would serve as the primary backup.

NFL Injury Notes: McCaffrey, Texans, Young, Brady, 49ers

May 28th, 2022 at 8:28pm CST by Ely Allen

Since signing a deal that gave him the highest average salary of any running back in the NFL, Christian McCaffrey has missed 23 of 33 games. From a high ankle sprain to a shoulder injury to a hamstring injury and back around to his ankle again, McCaffrey has seen more than his fair share of the injured reserve. According to Joseph Person of The Athletic, McCaffrey reached out for some help this offseason.

Among a few others, one of the players McCaffrey sought help from was Hall of Fame running back Marshall Faulk, one of two players who share with McCaffrey the distinction of recording at least 1,000 rushing yards and 1,000 receiving yards in a single season, the other being Roger Craig. Faulk was especially healthy later in his career despite having a tendency for a higher amount of total touches as a receiving back, his late health being a trait that McCaffrey would love to emulate.

Person reports that Panthers head coach Matt Rhule indicated McCaffrey would again be held out of the preseason and that the team is also looking into how they use their star during practice. McCaffrey, himself, has been tweaking his own offseason routine, in hopes of reversing his string of bad luck.

Here are a few other injury updates from around the NFL, starting with two out of the Lone Star State:

From an interview with Texans head coach Lovie Smith, Aaron Wilson of Pro Football Network reports that pass rusher Jonathan Greenard and safety Eric Murray will be ready to return to the field by the time training camp rolls around. Greenard, who led the team in sacks last season with 8.0, underwent foot surgery over the offseason. Murray had shoulder surgery after starting 11 games for Houston last year.
The Commanders are expecting former Defensive Rookie of the Year Chase Young to rejoin the team in the next couple of weeks, according to Nicki Jhabvala of the Washington Post. The young defensive end is coming off an ACL tear he suffered in a Week 10 game against the Buccaneers. Young was having a bit of a sophomore slump last year, only recording 1.5 sacks in nine games of action, but Washington will nonetheless be happy to reunite him with Jonathan Allen, Montez Sweat, and Daron Payne in what may be the NFL’s best all-around pass rushing defensive line.
Although not a recent injury, Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady talked about the condition of his left knee in a call with Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times this week. Last offseason saw Brady limited a bit due to surgery he underwent to repair the MCL tear he suffered during his last season in New England. With the injury far in the rearview mirror, Brady has reportedly been doing much more to prepare for the upcoming season this summer, “including some sprint work to help with his mobility.”
Cam Inman of the East Bay Times reported an assertion from 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan that San Francisco will likely play it safe and hold out tight end George Kittle and linebacker Fred Warner until training camp. About two of his stars, the sixth-year head coach claimed the team was “being smart” by using a little extra time to allow the two to get over their “lower half” issues.

This Date In Transactions History: Panthers’ Christian McCaffrey Signs Record-Breaking Deal

April 13th, 2022 at 9:15am CST by Zachary Links

Today marks the two-year anniversary of Christian McCaffrey‘s four-year, $64MM extension with the Panthers. The deal included $36MM guaranteed, $30MM fully guaranteed, and made CMC the highest-paid running back in NFL history.

[RELATED: CMC To Remain At RB]

McCaffrey and the Panthers had been discussing an extension for some time, even though the youngster was a long way from free agency. Elsewhere, the Panthers were in the midst of an overhaul, having bid farewell to head coach Ron Rivera, tight end Greg Olsen, one-time MVP quarterback Cam Newton, and other longtime figures. McCaffrey, of course, remained as a building block of the team’s future.

In September of 2019, Cowboys star Ezekiel Elliott broke the RB record with a six-year, $90MM extension. CMC beat that $15MM AAV by a cool $1MM. More importantly, he landed his deal on a much shorter term. The Panthers standout would secure the bag in the near term and be able to do it all again in his prime.

Saints star Alvin Kamara would later threaten his mantle, but fall just short at $15MM per annum. McCaffrey, meanwhile, went on to play in a combined ten games over the next two seasons. That was a bummer for CMC, who had previously earned a First-Team All-Pro selection. And, even in a “down” ’19, McCaffrey still managed 1,387 rushing yards off of 287 carries for an average of 4.8 yards per tote. He also caught 116 passes for 1,005 yards through the air to finish the year with 19 total touchdowns.

The injuries even prompted the Panthers to consider a position change for their franchise RB. But, just a few weeks ago, head coach Matt Rhule confirmed that McCaffrey will remain in the backfield.

“We can always move him around and utilize him, but at the end of the day, he’s a back”, Rhule said. “You can do a lot of things with Christian, but to take him out of the backfield, to me, is taking him out of what he does best. We’ll keep him at tailback.”

As great as McCaffrey is, the Panthers’ offer was panned by many. Market-setting deals for running backs, like the four-year, $60MM deal Todd Gurley once had with the Rams, often go south. Gurley couldn’t stay healthy after putting pen to paper, and neither has CMC. At least, that’s been the case so far.

Panthers Keeping Christian McCaffrey At RB

April 2nd, 2022 at 9:57pm CST by Adam La Rose

When healthy, Christian McCaffrey has proven himself to be one of the most productive players in the league. Staying on the field has been an issue during the past two seasons, though, leading some to think that he would be better suited to line up as a slot receiver more frequently. McCaffrey himself has rebuffed such suggestions; head coach Matt Rhule recently did the same.

As detailed by ESPN’s David Newton, Rhule confirmed that the team plans to keep the 25-year-old in his familiar running back spot, in spite of the workload he has shouldered and the injuries he has dealt with in recent years. McCaffrey has received 1,138 touches in his five seasons in the NFL – an average of 228 per season. With a full season in 2020 and 2021, those figures would have been significantly higher.

The Panthers leaned heavily on rookie Chuba Hubbard in McCaffrey’s absence last season, and signed former Titan D’Onta Foreman in free agency. If healthy, though, the former All-Pro will of course take over as the starter again. Newton notes that new offensive coordinator Ben McAdoo could use more two-RB formations, lending itself to McCaffrey being put in motion and/or the slot – something which he has very rarely done, despite his abilities as a pass-catcher.

Regardless of McAdoo’s scheme, or whom the Panthers’ QB will be in 2022, the team will carry on with the focal point of their offense in essentially the same way as they have for the rest of his career to date.

Panthers Rework RB Christian McCaffrey’s Contract

March 22nd, 2022 at 8:22pm CST by Ben Levine

Christian McCaffrey has helped the Panthers open up some extra cap. NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reports (via Twitter) that the running back has agreed to a “simple restructure” of his contract. The move will open $5.5MM in cap space.

McCaffrey’s contract furnishes him with $16MM/year on average, an all-time record for running backs. And, as the years go on, that cap hit escalates. This year, it’ll be a $14.3MM figure. In 2023 and 2024, he’s in line for cap hits of $17.7MM. It’s uncertain how the restructuring alters those numbers, but there’s a good chance McCaffrey still tops the position in earnings.

McCaffrey has been in the news this offseason for a (somewhat) surprising reason. We heard earlier this month that the All-Pro running back was generating trade interest, and we later learned that the front office was open to the right offer for the RB. The team was reportedly seeking a first-round pick and a cap-friendly contract, but McCaffrey‘s hefty contract would surely complicate any negotiations.

McCaffrey, 26 in June, has played just ten games over the past two seasons. Before the ankle and hamstring injuries, CMC was a 2019 All-Pro with an NFL-leading 2,392 scrimmage yards.

Panthers Listening On Christian McCaffrey Trade Calls

March 8th, 2022 at 9:48am CST by Zachary Links

The Panthers aren’t necessarily shopping Christian McCaffrey, but they’re at least willing to listen. As the calls keep coming in, the Panthers are open to the right offer, according to league sources who spoke with David Newton of ESPN.com.

Newton hears that another team could pry the star running back away for a quality package, one that includes a first-round pick and a cap-friendly player. From a football perspective, that’s not a monumental ask. However, when considering CMC’s contract, that could be easier said than done.

McCaffrey’s contract furnishes him with $16MM/year on average, an all-time record for running backs. And, as the years go on, that cap hit escalates. This year, it’ll be a $14.3MM figure. In 2023 and 2024, he’s in line for cap hits of $17.7MM. The Panthers — currently projected to have $26.5MM in space — can afford to keep him, but they may prefer draft capital and flexibility instead.

McCaffrey, 26 in June, has played just ten games over the past two seasons. Before the ankle and hamstring injuries, CMC was a 2019 All-Pro with an NFL-leading 2,392 scrimmage yards.

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