HEADLINES

Christian McCaffrey

Christian McCaffrey Drawing Trade Interest

March 7th, 2022 at 8:04pm CST by Sam Robinson

Injuries have largely kept Christian McCaffrey off the field over the past two seasons, significantly limiting his production since the Panthers gave him a record-setting running back extension. Carolina was not believed to be interested in trading its starting back, but that has not stopped other teams from calling.

McCaffrey inquiries have come the Panthers’ way, but Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports notes the team would want a monster return for the talented dual-threat back. The Panthers would seek a first-round pick and another asset for McCaffrey, who four seasons remaining on his deal. CMC is attached to an $8.4MM base salary in 2022; his salaries jump past $11MM beginning in 2023.

While unrealistic, the Panthers’ ask makes sense due to how disadvantageous a trade would be for them financially. Unloading McCaffrey’s contract before June 1 would tag the Panthers with $18MM in dead money. A post-June 1 trade would at least save Carolina more than $8MM, but the Panthers would obviously be selling low given their star back’s past two seasons. Last year, the Panthers were not believed to have included McCaffrey in their Deshaun Watson talks.

McCaffrey, 26, has played just 10 games over the past two seasons. Ankle and hamstring injuries have disrupted the second-generation NFLer’s prime. An All-Pro season in which McCaffrey finished with an NFL-leading 2,392 scrimmage yards prompted Matt Rhule to greenlight that four-year, $64MM extension in 2020. That set the running back market. None of McCaffrey’s 2017 classmates or subsequent running back extension recipients have passed the $15MM-per-year threshold.

NFL COVID List Updates: 12/22/21

December 22nd, 2021 at 6:22pm CST by Ben Levine

We’ve compiled a list of players who were placed or activated from the reserve/COVID-19 list today. In some instances (including Christian McCaffrey and Travis Etienne), players activated from the list remain on IR:

Arizona Cardinals

Baltimore Ravens

Carolina Panthers

Chicago Bears

Cleveland Browns

Dallas Cowboys

Denver Broncos

Detroit Lions

Houston Texans

Indianapolis Colts

Jacksonville Jaguars

Kansas City Chiefs

Las Vegas Raiders

Los Angeles Chargers

Los Angeles Rams

Miami Dolphins

Minnesota Vikings

New England Patriots

New Orleans Saints

New York Jets

Philadelphia Eagles

  • Placed on list: T Le’Raven Clark

Pittsburgh Steelers

Seattle Seahawks

Tennessee Titans

Washington Football Team

Panthers Won’t Trade Christian McCaffrey

November 30th, 2021 at 12:44pm CST by Adam La Rose

The league’s other 31 GMs will have to cross an item off of their holiday wishlist. The Panthers have no plans to trade Christian McCaffrey, according to a team source who spoke with Joseph Person of the Athletic. 

[RELATED: Panthers’ Christian McCaffrey Done For Year]

The running back was placed on IR after suffering a season-ending injury ankle injury in Sunday’s loss to the Dolphins. It marks McCaffrey’s second stint on IR this year, and the latest in a concerning trend regarding the 25-year-old’s ability to stay on the field. He missed all but three games in 2020 due to separate ankle, shoulder, and quad injuries meaning that the Panthers will have only had him available for ten of a possible 33 games in the last two campaigns.

The eighth overall pick in the 2017 draft, McCaffrey signed a four-year, $64MM extension in April 2020. Injuries had not been a cause for concern at the time, even going back to his time at Stanford. Now, however, his contract — which runs through 2025 with sizable cap hits — could hamper the Panthers if he can’t stay healthy.

For now, the Panthers will turn to rookie Chuba Hubbard as their lead back, starting with their Week 14 matchup against the Falcons.

Panthers’ Christian McCaffrey Done For Year

November 29th, 2021 at 12:52pm CST by Zachary Links

The Panthers have placed Christian McCaffrey on injured reserve, per a club announcement. Since this is his second trip to IR in 2021, the move will mark the end of the running back’s season. 

CMC previously missed five games with a hamstring injury. This time around, it’s an ankle injury that’ll require multiple months of rehab.

McCaffrey was forced out early yesterday as the Dolphins went on to win 33-10. The loss dropped them to 5-7 on the year, further crushing their slim odds of reaching the postseason.

The Panthers got off to a 3-0 start with McCaffrey in the lineup, then dropped four of five games without him. Even after his return, they’ve lost three of four contests, though the offense was clearly better with him in the backfield. His Week 10 showing performance against Arizona — 13 carries, ten catches, and 150+ all-purpose yards — propelled them to their only win in November.

Between the last two years, McCaffrey has appeared in just ten games for the Panthers. It’s hardly what anyone envisioned for CMC after he inked a $16MM-per-year extension in 2020. In 2019, his last healthy campaign, McCaffrey made a push for Chris Johnson‘s record with 2,392 scrimmage yards.

Now, his ’21 season will end with 442 rushing yards and one touchdown, plus 37 catches for 343 yards and one receiving TD across seven games. The Panthers will likely add another RB to the mix between now and their next game, a Dec. 12 matchup against the Falcons.

Panthers Activate Christian McCaffrey

November 6th, 2021 at 3:08pm CST by Sam Robinson

Christian McCaffrey may be set to return after his latest lengthy absence. The All-Pro back is off the Panthers’ IR list and back on the team’s active roster.

It is not yet certain McCaffrey will be in uniform against the Patriots, with a pregame workout set to determine his status, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport tweets. But Carolina activating McCaffrey is obviously a good indicator of his status for Sunday’s game. The Panthers still had more than two weeks to bump CMC back to their active roster, having only designated him to return from IR on Wednesday.

The Panthers’ offense has largely struggled without its top player. After a 3-0 start with McCaffrey in uniform, the Panthers have lost four of their past five games since he went down in Week 3 with a hamstring injury. Carolina enters Week 9 26th in scoring, with Sam Darnold having taken significant steps back after a hot start.

McCaffrey has certainly struggled to stay on the field since signing his $16MM-per-year extension in 2020. A high ankle sprain limited the dual-threat dynamo to three games last season, and this hamstring ailment cost him five thus far this year. When last healthy over a full season, McCaffrey made a push for Chris Johnson‘s scrimmage yards record in 2019. He totaled 2,392 en route to his monster contract. This Panthers iteration stands to receive a major boost once the fifth-year star returns.

Regarding Darnold, the Panthers announced Saturday he cleared concussion protocol. Although that bodes well for his Week 9 status, NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero tweets Darnold remains a game-time decision due to the shoulder injury he also suffered against the Falcons. P.J. Walker has replaced Darnold in each of the Panthers’ past two games. The ex-XFL standout would get the call if the Panthers deemed Darnold a no-go.

Panthers Designate Christian McCaffrey For Return

November 3rd, 2021 at 10:40am CST by Zachary Links

The Panthers have designated Christian McCaffrey for return from the injured reserve list, per a club announcement. This opens up a 21-day window for the running back to retake the field. 

[RELATED: Panthers Did Not Offer CMC In Watson Talks]

McCaffrey suffered the injury in Week 3 and landed on IR in Week 6. Now, he could return as soon as this week to face the Patriots. McCaffrey, 25, turned in a stellar 2019 season with 2,392 all-purpose yards and 19 touchdowns. After that, the Panthers made him the highest-paid running back in the NFL with a heavily-guaranteed four-year, $64MM deal.

Unfortunately, he was limited to just three games in 2020. So far this year, he’s played in just two games and change with 364 yards from scrimmage and one touchdown. Without CMC, the Panthers have shifted to fourth-round rookie Chuba Hubbard with support from Royce Freeman.

Along with CMC, punter Joseph Charlton has also been designated to return from IR. If he’s not able to play, practice squad punter Lachlan Edwards will likely get the call.

Texans Unlikely To Trade Deshaun Watson Before Deadline?

October 31st, 2021 at 8:25am CST by Rory Parks

Despite reports that the Dolphins and Texans have agreed to compensation in a prospective Deshaun Watson trade, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com says that, as of this morning, there is not much hope of a deal being completed prior to Tuesday’s deadline. Josina Anderson of CBS Sports HQ had reported earlier in the week that Houston was not feeling any pressure to swing a trade by the deadline and was content to wait until the offseason (video link).

Although Dolphins owner Stephen Ross wants to see his team land Watson, he is said to want more clarity on the passer’s legal situation before green-lighting a trade. And, as Watson’s legal situation is rife with uncertainty at this point, Ross might not be comfortable in authorizing a deal that likely includes three first-round draft picks.

Schefter’s report also casts doubt on whether Miami and Houston are actually in agreement on the trade package. The ESPN scribe suggests that, in addition to all of the legal concerns, there are still lingering “compensation issues” that would need to be hammered out before a trade can be finalized. Indeed, GM Nick Casersio is unwilling to trade Watson for anything less than what he perceives to be maximum value. On the other hand, Jay Glazer of FOX Sports reports that the Dolphins and Texans were close to a deal a few days ago, and that a trade was not consummated only because the ‘Fins want Watson to settle his legal matters first (via Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald on Twitter).

Of course, Watson theoretically could settle the civil suits that 22 women have filed against him, but he can’t control whether criminal charges are filed. Glazer’s report, though, lends credence to the notion that a deal will not be consummated within the next two days.

Meanwhile, Texans owner Cal McNair wants to put the matter behind him and would like to see Watson traded by Tuesday. But Ian Rapoport of NFL.com says McNair has given Caserio full authority to handle the situation however he sees fit, and if that means retaining Watson through the deadline, then so be it.

We also have an interesting nugget to pass along with respect to the Panthers’ involvement in this process. Schefter confirms that Watson did not waive his no-trade clause for Carolina — or for any team other than Miami — which is at least one reason why the the Panthers are not pursuing Watson in advance of the deadline (though other reporters have said an offseason deal could still happen if Watson remains with the Texans). However, there was speculation that a deal that would send Watson to Carolina would see star RB Christian McCaffrey heading back to Houston as part of the return.

Joe Person of The Athletic says McCaffrey was never part of the trade talks (Twitter link), and Schefter adds that Panthers GM Scott Fitterer and head coach Matt Rhule actually called McCaffrey on Friday night to tell him as much.

Panthers Place RB Christian McCaffrey On IR

October 16th, 2021 at 12:22pm CST by Ben Levine

Christian McCaffrey is set to miss at least three more games. The Panthers announced today (via Twitter) that they’ve placed their star running back on injured reserve.

This is a tough blow for the Panthers. McCaffrey hasn’t played since he exited his Week 3 contest with a hamstring injury. The Panthers’ initial decision to not place their starting RB on injured reserve provided some optimism that the player would be back sooner than later. Considering the three-week IR requirement, some even assumed the 25-year-old would be back on the field this weekend considering he’s already missed two games.

Alas, we found out yesterday that McCaffrey wouldn’t play tomorrow against the Vikings. Now, thanks to today’s move, the versatile offensive weapon won’t see the field until at least the team’s matchup against the Patriots on November 7.

Following a historic 2019 campaign that saw him finish with 2,392 yards from scrimmage and 19 touchdowns, the Panthers made McCaffrey the highest-paid RB in the NFL when they gave him a four-year, $64MM deal. However, the RB was limited to only three games last season, and he completed only two games in 2021 before suffering another injury. Through two-plus games this year, McCaffrey has collected 364 yards from scrimmage and one touchdown on 68 carries.

With McCaffrey still out of the lineup, the team will continue relying on rookie fourth-round pick Chuba Hubbard as their top running back. The fill-in had the best game of his rookie campaign in Week 5, finishing with 134 yards from scrimmage.

The Panthers made a handful of additional moves today, including placing rookie offensive lineman Deonte Brown on IR. The team also signed guard Michael Jordan to the active roster, and they promoted punter Ryan Winslow and running back Spencer Brown from the taxi squad.

Panthers Won’t Put Christian McCaffrey On IR

September 27th, 2021 at 2:08pm CST by Zachary Links

Good news for Christian McCaffrey. Panthers head coach Matt Rhule says his injured hamstring won’t require a stint on the injured reserve list (Twitter link via Darin Gantt of the team website).

This means that CMC could return in less than three games, which would have been the minimum stint on IR. The Panthers are hoping to avoid a repeat of last year, when the running back missed all but three games with a shoulder injury. When healthy, there are few playmakers quite like McCaffrey.

In 2019, CMC set the league on fire with 2,392 all-purpose yards and 19 touchdowns. And, through his two games-and-change this year, McCaffrey looked sharp with 52 carries for 201 yards and a touchdown, plus 16 grabs for 163 yards.

Meanwhile, cornerback Jaycee Horn will likely land on the IR list now that he’s set for surgery on his broken foot. In a best case scenario, Horn could still return towards the end of the season. In the meantime, he’ll be replaced by newcomer C.J. Henderson, a highly-touted first rounder from just last year.

Latest On Panthers’ Christian McCaffrey

September 24th, 2021 at 12:05pm CST by Zachary Links

The Panthers expect Christian McCaffrey to miss the next few weeks of action (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport). On the plus side, the team not planning to put the running back on injured reserve, which means that he could miss less than three games. 

[RELATED: Surgery For Panthers’ Horn?]

McCaffrey pulled his hamstring on Thursday night and still managed to run the ball out of play before heading to the locker room. The Panthers went on to beat the Texans, but it’s a bad blow to the offense moving forward. For now, Chuba Hubbard figures to see an uptick in work.

CMC was limited to only three games in 2020 after suffering a shoulder injury. It was a disappointing setback, on the heels of his historic 2019 with 2,392 all-purpose yards and 19 touchdowns. Through two games this year, McCaffrey looked sharp with 324 yards from scrimmage off of 59 totes. The 25-year-old added another 40 total yards on nine carries before his early exit las night.

Hubbard, a rookie fourth-round pick, only saw 26 offensive snaps in Weeks 1 and 2. The team is also rostering Royce Freeman on the active roster, and they could turn to practice squad backs Rodney Smith or Spencer Brown for additional depth.

Besides CMC, the Panthers are also awaiting additional word on cornerback Jaycee Horn. They’ll know more after Horn undergoes testing today, but it sounds like he’ll need surgery on his foot. That’ll rule him out for the bulk of the season, if not the rest of the campaign.

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