The Panthers will likely be without two of their biggest stars Sunday against Washington
Panthers star Christian McCaffrey is doubtful for Sunday’s game against the Washington Football Team as he recovers from a quad injury, while defensive end Brian Burns is out with a knee injury, coach Matt Rhule said Wednesday.
“I really think he needs to practice,” Rhule said of McCaffrey. “Him not practicing, for me, puts him in the doubtful category.”
Burns and McCaffrey were at practice Wednesday but did not participate.
Burns injured his knee late in the fourth quarter of the Panthers’ 24-16 loss to the Packers on Dec. 19. He has played in every game this season and has eight sacks and three forced fumbles.
Rhule declined to specify Burns’ injury but said he would not need surgery on the knee.
McCaffrey has played in only three games this season. He has dealt with various injuries throughout the year. The Panthers are 4-10 and mathematically eliminated from the playoffs. But Rhule has maintained that he had no plans to shut McCaffrey down.
“I’ve answered that so many times,” Rhule said last week. “I think there’s a great thing I saw yesterday, Jason Kelce from the Eagles. There was a tweet I saw where he talks about the importance of winning.
“Winning organizations and winning cultures win. They don’t just win some of the time. We’re trying to win all the time. We’re not winning the way we want, but we’re trying to win.”
McCaffrey has not played since the Panthers’ Week 9 loss against the Chiefs. McCaffrey suffered an AC joint injury on the final drive of that game.
He was supposed to return in Week 14 against the Broncos, but re-aggravated a thigh injury he sustained during his own training over the bye week.
In Week 2 against the Buccaneers, McCaffrey suffered a high ankle sprain and missed the next six weeks.
This story was originally published December 23, 2020 at 2:42 PM.
