Panthers have 2 running backs on injured reserve. Who’s left behind Mike Davis?
The Panthers placed running back Reggie Bonnafon on the practice squad injured reserve list Tuesday.
Bonnafon suffered a high-ankle sprain in Sunday’s win over the Arizona Cardinals. He played through the team’s last offensive series and finished the game with 10 carries for 53 yards and two receptions for 18 yards, including his first career receiving touchdown. In the team’s win over the Chargers the week prior, he saw less playing time and finished with two rushes for 16 yards.
The running back has spent the season on the team’s practice squad after serving as Christian McCaffrey’s backup last year. Bonnafon spent the 2018 season on the team’s practice squad after signing as an undrafted free agent out of Louisville.
McCaffrey suffered the same injury, a high-ankle sprain, in the team’s Week 2 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Due to the All-Pro’s absence, Bonnafon had been activated from the practice squad to the active roster in the last two games.
However, teams can only bring players up just prior to game days twice, so Bonnafon would likely have joined the active roster more permanently this week, if not for the injury.
The Panthers are without McCaffrey for at least this week and likely longer as high ankle sprains typically take four-to-six weeks to recover from. Players must remain on injured reserve for a minimum of three weeks, but an unlimited number of players can be taken off the list and brought back. The impact of both McCaffrey and Bonnafon being out will likely extend past Week 5.
Mike Davis will remain the Panthers’ starting back when the team travels to play the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday. The team has limited depth at the position that will be available for that game.
Running back Trenton Cannon has been inactive the last two games and is more of a special teams player — he does not have a carry yet this season — and Pete Guerrerio, an undrafted free agent from Monmouth, was signed to the practice squad last week.
The Panthers also had running back Rodney Smith, an undrafted free agent from Minnesota, who spent some time with the team during training camp, in for a visit Tuesday. He is a likely candidate to fill Bonnafon’s spot on the practice squad.
Wide receiver Curtis Samuel has also taken snaps at running back and has 35 yards on 11 carries. Fullback Alex Armah could also contribute, although he has just three carries for three yards this year.
This story was originally published October 6, 2020 at 5:20 PM.
