Carolina Panthers put Christian McCaffrey on injured reserve after high ankle sprain
The Panthers have placed All-Pro running back Christian McCaffrey on the injured reserve list, guaranteeing he will miss at least three weeks of the season with a high-ankle sprain.
McCaffrey injured his ankle in Sunday’s 31-17 loss to the Bucs and missed the game’s final 13 minutes.
The move to place McCaffrey on IR was expected. It allows the Panthers to add another player to their roster. Players placed on the list this season are now eligible to return after three weeks. For McCaffrey, that would mean as early as Oct. 18, when the Panthers host the Chicago Bears.
“I hate it for him,” Panthers coach Matt Rhule said Monday. “No one wants to be out there and play more than Christian does. But everything happens for a reason. I’m sure he’s rehabbing right now. I talked to him earlier today, and I know he’ll get back as soon as he can.”
McCaffrey is expected to miss four to six weeks of the season with injury, but he said Monday he’s optimistic he can come back sooner.
“Hopefully I can get back a lot earlier than that, but I’m gonna attack this just like I attack anything else and go from there,” McCaffrey said Monday.
Through two games, McCaffrey has 156 yards rushing on 41 carries and four touchdowns. He has also caught seven passes for 67 yards.
Last season, McCaffrey became the third player in NFL history to catch and rush for 1,000 yards in the same season. The Panthers rewarded him this offseason with a four-year, $64 million contract extension, which made him the highest-paid running back in NFL history.
The contract keeps him in Carolina through the 2025 season.
With McCaffrey out, the Panthers will likely start backup Mike Davis, and bring Reggie Bonnafon up from the practice squad.
In addition to the McCaffrey move, the Panthers activated offensive guard Chris Reed from the reserve/COVID list. Reed has been on the list since Sept. 1. His addition will add depth to the Panthers’ offensive line.
This story was originally published September 23, 2020 at 12:05 PM.
