Should the Panthers shut Christian McCaffrey down for the season?
By Dean Jones
Should the Carolina Panthers shut down Christian McCaffrey?
The Carolina Panthers are facing a real conundrum with Christian McCaffrey. Their star player managed to make his long-awaited return to the lineup in their Week 9 loss at the Kansas City Chiefs. But an awkward tackle late in the game could see the All-Pro head to the sidelines once again.
According to head coach Matt Rhule, McCaffrey was considered as day-to-day with a shoulder injury that required an MRI scan. This prevented him from making any sort of difference on the game’s final drive on Sunday and it might see the former first-round pick miss their Week 10 clash against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and maybe beyond.
This has been a frustrating season for McCaffrey, who hadn’t missed a game before the 2020 campaign. His iron man reputation is no more – at least to a certain extent- and the worst thing about it all is that these problems have occurred in the campaign after he signed a four-year, $64 million contract extension with a $21 million signing bonus and $38 million guaranteed.
Hopefully, for the player and the Panthers, McCaffrey will be able to recover quickly.
One only has to look at his level of production in Kansas City to see just how vital the running back is to the team. If they were without him for another lengthy period, it would all-but write off their chances of gaining any sort of respectability from their remaining fixtures.
There is also an argument to be made for shutting McCaffrey down completely this season. Let’s take a look at the pros and cons of such an eventuality.