Christian McCaffrey misses practice for rest day, and Shaq Thompson’s return remains unknown

Christian McCaffrey missed Friday’s training camp session as part of the Panthers’ practice plan for the running back, head coach Matt Rhule said.

The veteran’s rest day for the 26-year-old functions as part of Carolina’s larger strategy to keep McCaffrey healthy after two seasons where he’s combined for just 10 games.

“Four days in a row I didn’t want him to do,” Rhule said. “He had two hard days … he’ll go tomorrow.”

Rhule didn’t disclose the specifics of the plan but implied McCaffrey plays intensely in practice, citing the team’s internal GPS tracking information as evidence.

Earlier in camp, Rhule said the team would make small tweaks to how they approached McCaffrey’s workload in training camp. He also noted McCaffrey has entered seasons healthy but had injury issues due to in-season work.

“Running backs get banged up in this league a lot,” Rhule said. He added that if McCaffrey got injured, he wanted him back out there as soon as possible.

“(I) want him to be great and go out and affect the game,’‘ he added. “I’m just so excited to see what (McCaffrey) can do.”

After playing 16 games in each of his first three seasons, McCaffrey’s dealt with ankle, thigh and shoulder injuries that have limited him to under just 667 combined rushing yards across the past two seasons.

McCaffrey declined to specify what changes he made to his offseason regimen but said he’d “be ready to roll.”

In his absence, Chubba Hubbard and D’Onta Foreman took the majority of snaps at running back. Rhule praised Foreman’s physical running style, saying he does a great job of getting downhill.

Hubbard’s balance has improved, the coach said, adding that the 23-year-old added value on special teams as well. The 23-year-old started 10 games and rushed for 612 yards last year. Foreman had 566 yards in nine games played with the Tennessee Titans.

No timetable for Shaq Thompson’s return

While Thompson has moonlighted as an assistant coach during his return from knee surgery, the seventh-year linebacker has no coaching plans in his post-playing days.

“Definitely not, that’s too much stress,” he said.

The Panthers placed Thompson, who wore a black compression sleeve that covered his left leg, on their Physically Unable to Perform list to start training camp due to a surgery Rhule called a “clean up.”

The coach said the procedure happened because of the wear-and-tear of the NFL season. Thompson didn’t give any further explanation but said that he got the issue taken care of and would be back at “100 percent.”

However, he didn’t give a firm timeline for his return, saying that he’s progressing every day. He didn’t answer when asked if he’d be ready for the regular season.

When Chelsea played against Charlotte FC at Bank of America Stadium, the team replaced the turf with grass, a decision Thompson applauded.

“Keep the grass!!!! No turf please,” he tweeted on July 19. He also agreed with a fan’s reply that called for more players to voice their opinion about the playing surface.

Training Camp: Back Together Saturday timing changed

The Panthers’ Saturday practice, which was initially scheduled to be held at 7 p.m., has been moved up to 11 a.m. due to expected inclement weather. Gates will open at 10 a.m.

The practice will be held at Gibbs Stadium at Wofford College.

This story was originally published July 29, 2022 at 3:45 PM.