Foreman isn’t a household name like McCaffrey, but Panthers RB is getting noticed
If you’re just getting used to hearing the name “D’Onta Foreman” in the Carolina Panthers’ post-Christian McCaffrey era, join the rest of America.
Foreman — who should start for Carolina at running back Sunday in a 1 p.m. game at Atlanta — has been hot this past week. That’s because he subbed in for the traded McCaffrey a week ago and rushed for 118 yards against Tampa Bay, including a 60-yarder that was the Panthers’ longest run from scrimmage in three years and the longest of Foreman’s NFL career.
According to ESPN.com’s fantasy football website, Foreman ranked as the most-added player on rosters this week, going from being rostered on only 3.9% of fantasy teams to 58.1% in a week.
“I saw some of that on social media,” Foreman said laughing, but “I don’t put too much into it. I remember when nobody was picking me up.”
Foreman has suddenly become the Panthers’ workhorse after replacing an All-Pro — a remarkably similar situation to what he found himself in last year. In 2021, Foreman played at Tennessee and was Derrick Henry’s backup, until Henry got hurt and Foreman ripped off three 100-yard games as a substitute while helping the Titans win their division and make the playoffs.
Foreman’s powerhouse build — 6-0 and 235 pounds — means his running style is a lot closer to the bruising Henry’s than to McCaffrey’s fast-twitch dazzle. He and Chuba Hubbard are splitting snaps and carries at the moment, but Hubbard (ankle) hasn’t been able to practice much this week. If Hubbard can’t go Sunday for the Panthers (2-5) in a suddenly critical NFC South game at Atlanta (3-4), he will be replaced by rookie Raheem Blackshear as Carolina’s No. 2 back.
Still, it will be largely Foreman’s show, if he can show the effectiveness he did a week ago. Foreman had 15 carries vs. Tampa Bay; I wouldn’t be surprised if he got 20 to 25 vs. Atlanta.
The more the better for Foreman, who said he’s a back who thrives late in the game as the carries pile up.
“I can tell sometimes that these guys might not want to tackle me,” Foreman said, “after a certain point in the game. So I just try to use that to my advantage.”
Foreman earned 114 of his 118 rushing yards after halftime last week against Tampa Bay, as well as 13 of his 15 carries. The former Texas Longhorn rushed for 2,028 yards in his final collegiate season in 2016, so he knows what it is to carry a heavy load. And his style fits with the Panthers’ offensive philosophy under new interim coach Steve Wilks, who is 1-1 since replacing Matt Rhule after the fifth game of the season.
Said Wilks: “There’s nothing more demoralizing to a defense than to run the ball.”
Said offensive coordinator Ben McAdoo, who was instructed by Wilks to run the ball first and foremost shortly after Wilks received the interim title: “We want to be a physical, heavy-handed team and play with effort. ... That’s our identity.”
Foreman had a chance for all that yardage last week in part because of a strong offensive line performance. That helped fuel a solid game from former fourth-string quarterback PJ Walker, who will start his third consecutive game Sunday at Atlanta.
The Panthers have seen this movie before. In 2020, after one of McCaffrey’s injuries, running back Mike Davis took over, started 12 games and ran for 642 yards. Like Foreman, Davis was a north-south runner.
Running backs behind McCaffrey have often been deemed expendable, however, and the Panthers let Davis go elsewhere. It could happen to Foreman, too. Now 26, he’s on a one-year deal for $2 million that will expire after this season.
For now, though, he’s in a good place, and hoping he can help the Panthers to a second straight win by helping control the fourth quarter.
“I definitely excel as the game goes on,” Foreman said. “The more carries I get the more comfortable I get. ... You never know what (your number of carries) might be. It might be 10 this week. Maybe 20. So you’ve just got to be as productive as you can be when you have the chance.”
