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.