How severe Panthers star Christian McCaffrey’s ankle injury is remains in question
UPDATE: Panthers coach Matt Rhule said Monday that Christian McCaffrey suffered a high ankle sprain and will be out multiple weeks.
For more information see this story: What you need to know on Christian McCaffrey’s injury and how long he’ll be out
Perhaps the Panthers’ worst nightmare has occurred.
Running back Christian McCaffrey injured his ankle in the fourth quarter of Sunday’s game against the Bucs. The extent of his ankle injury is uncertain. He was not made available for media interviews after the game.
McCaffrey injured his ankle around the 13:25 mark in the fourth quarter, when he scored on a 7-yard touchdown rush.
He hobbled off the field, and got his ankle taped, but did not return on the following series in a tight game. McCaffrey was replaced by backup running back Mike Davis, and the Panthers lost, 31-17.
Panthers coach Matt Rhule said after the game that he didn’t have an immediate update on McCaffrey’s injury. According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, McCaffrey will have an MRI on Monday to determine the severity.
Rhule said McCaffrey also suffered an injury in the first quarter, but came back in. He did not know what kind of injury McCaffrey suffered in the first quarter.
Before the injury, McCaffrey had 59 yards rushing on 18 attempts and two touchdowns. He also had 4 catches for 29 yards. McCaffrey is unquestionably the Panthers’ best player and the face of the franchise. Carolina gave him a four-year, $64 million contract extension in April, making him the highest paid running back in NFL history at the time.
Though McCaffrey’s usage hasn’t been over-the-top this season, his injuries will further fuel questions about his usage rate. He has played in every game of his career and rarely comes off the field. He played in 93.4% of the Panthers’ snaps last season.
If McCaffrey were to miss time, that would likely mean more snaps for Mike Davis. In relief of McCaffrey, Davis had 8 catches for 74 yards out of the backfield.
“Mike’s a good player. We know he’s a good player,” Rhule said. “He’s a veteran player, so we’ll count on him and we’ll wait to see what happens with Christian.”
Davis said, “I’m here to do my job and do whatever coach needs me to do.”
This story was originally published September 20, 2020 at 4:00 PM with the headline "How severe Panthers star Christian McCaffrey’s ankle injury is remains in question."
