Christian McCaffrey not expected to play in Panthers game vs. Broncos due to injury
Carolina Panthers running back Christian McCaffrey has a quad/thigh injury and did not participate in practice Thursday and is not expected to play in Sunday’s game against the 4-8 Denver Broncos.
“I’m going to monitor it. At this time, I do not expect him to play, but I’ll continue to monitor it,” Panthers coach Matt Rhule said Thursday. “No one knows their body better than Christian, so I’ll wait to see how the rehab goes.”
McCaffrey originally suffered the injury while training during the bye week. He then tweaked it in practice Wednesday and was designated as limited that day. McCaffrey was in the team’s facility Thursday rehabbing.
The running back spoke with the media Monday and said, “I feel great,” and was looking forward to possibly returning to play his father’s former team.
“I don’t like jinxing anything,” McCaffrey said. “So for the next four games, I’m hoping that they all go great and I’m healthy and feel great.”
McCaffrey declined to say during the Zoom call with media if he would definitively play in Sunday’s game, however, he was trending in that direction.
The running back has missed nine games this season and was expected to return to face Denver. McCaffrey is also continuing to recover from a shoulder injury that he suffered on the final drive of the team’s loss to the Kansas City Chiefs on Nov. 8.
He has been out the last three games and missed six earlier in the season due to a high-ankle sprain. He leads the team in touchdowns (6). In limited games, the offense has been significantly better with the 2019 All-Pro in the lineup.
Panthers COVID-19 update
The Panthers (4-8) could be without multiple top weapons Sunday as wide receivers Curtis Samuel and DJ Moore remain on the league’s COVID-19 lists along with six other Panthers — linebacker Shaq Thompson and defensive tackles Zach Kerr and Derrick Brown, along with practice squad players Ishmael Hyman (WR) and Bruce Hector (DT) and punter Michael Palardy, who was placed on season-ending injured reserve prior to training camp.
Rhule said Thursday that it is his understanding that some of the Panthers’ issues regarding COVID-19 stemmed from the team’s trip to Minnesota during the bye week, while some came from a gathering held outside the facility. On a league media call Wednesday, the NFL’s chief medical officer Dr. Allen Sills said that the Panthers’ COVID-19 transmission occurred at a gathering outside of the facility and did not specifically mention the additional exposures related to the Minnesota trip.
“We have great people. If anyone did do something, that was against a protocol, that’ll be dealt with by the team and the league and all those different things,” Rhule said. “But make no mistake, the guys on that list are guys that I really respect and value.”
The Panthers’ coach spent a significant amount of time during practice Thursday speaking to his team about how fortune that are compared to what many are dealing with due to the impacts of COVID-19.
Being without McCaffrey, Samuel and Moore would present a tough task for the Panthers’ offense, although the Broncos’ defense has had its ups and downs, allowing 366.8 scrimmage yards per game (14th) and 26.7 points per game (21st). Denver is hurting at the cornerback positions, especially after A.J. Bouye’s six-game suspension issued this week.
Rookie defensive end Yetur Gross-Matos was taken off the COVID-19 list Thursday. He was the first placed on the list in the last 10 days, originally being added to it the day after the loss in Minnesota. Left tackle Greg Little came off the list Wednesday.
This story was originally published December 10, 2020 at 1:03 PM.
