Earlier this week, the Carolina Panthers downgraded Christian McCaffrey’s status in practice. It was a sign that he may have suffered a setback in his recovery.
The Panthers confirmed their fans’ worst fears this Saturday, placing McCaffrey on injured reserve. This means he’ll have to miss at least the next three games. If all goes well, he can return on Nov. 7 against the New England Patriots.
McCaffrey was off to a great start this season. In a little over two games, he had 201 rushing yards, 163 receiving yards and a touchdown. He suffered a hamstring strain in Week 3 that forced him to miss the past two games.
Carolina was hopeful that McCaffrey would return to the team’s lineup for a Week 6 showdown with the Minnesota Vikings. Obviously, that won’t be able to happen now.
The #Panthers placed RB Christian McCaffrey on injured reserve, meaning he must miss at least 3 more games with his hamstring injury.
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) October 16, 2021
Injuries have plagued McCaffrey the past two seasons. In 2020, he only appeared in three games for the Panthers.
McCaffrey is one of the most explosive players in the NFL, so his absence will affect Carolina’s offense moving forward. Rookie running back Chuba Hubbard will be asked to lead the Panthers’ backfield for the next three games.
Hubbard was sharp in Week 5, rushing for 101 yards on 24 carries. The issue, however, is that he’s not very dynamic as a pass catcher.
The Panthers will try to snap their two-game losing streak this Sunday against the Vikings.
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