Panthers’ Christian McCaffrey has a new injury. Here’s what happened and what we know
Panthers running back Christian McCaffrey has a new injury that could keep him from playing Sunday.
Coach Matt Rhule said McCaffrey has an injury to his quad/thigh that he tweaked in practice Wednesday and was limited in what he could do in the afternoon. The injury had not previously been made public.
When asked how and when McCaffrey suffered the injury, Rhule said he didn’t know.
“It sounded like it was part of his working out and his training,” Rhule said. The Panthers had a bye week last week.
McCaffrey hasn’t played since Nov. 8 when the Panthers played the Chiefs in Week 9. He suffered an AC joint injury on the game’s final drive and missed the next three games. He was expected to return this week against the Broncos, but the new injury puts that in question.
“At this point I don’t know,” Rhule said when asked about McCaffrey’s status for Sunday’s game. “We’ll have to monitor it day by day. I think he might have tweaked it last week. It felt good going into today and then got out there and it got tight on him.”
It has been a difficult year for McCaffrey, who signed a four-year $64 million contract extension this past offseason. McCaffrey has missed nine games this season due to various injuries. He also suffered a high ankle sprain in Week 2 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and missed the next six weeks. The game against the Chiefs was his first game back from that injury.
The Panthers are 4-5 without him.
“You work so hard for so long to come back and then something separate happens and that’s just the nature of the game,” McCaffrey said Monday. “I think the best thing that’s come out of it though is I’ve learned a lot about the game, learned a lot about myself and I’ve been able to kind of experience that adversity of watching from the side.”
If McCaffrey can’t go, Mike Davis would likely start again. Davis has 504 yards rushing and 329 yards receiving this season. He also has five total touchdowns.
Other Panthers injury news
While McCaffrey’s status for Sunday’s game is uncertain, Rhule said he expected cornerback Donte Jackson to play against the Broncos. Jackson was limited in practice Wednesday, but Rhule said that was to prevent any setbacks.
Jackson has missed the Panthers’ last two games as he rested a turf toe injury that has hobbled him since Week 1. Oftentimes, he had to come off the field to rest it, or couldn’t finish games. Because it didn’t appear it was getting any better, the Panthers’ coaching staff made the decision to rest him for three weeks.
Jackson said Wednesday that his toe is feeling much better.
“Some time off, got a chance to do some different stuff,” Jackson said. “Do a lot of pool work. Do a lot of strengthening the hips and the calves. It felt great. ...The toe is feeling good.”
This story was originally published December 9, 2020 at 2:44 PM.
