Should the Panthers shut Christian McCaffrey down for the season?
By Dean Jones
The argument against shutting down Christian McCaffrey
It seems unfathomable for the Carolina Panthers to even contemplate the thought of shutting down Christian McCaffrey at this juncture. There is still a lot of football to be played and with some tough opposition upcoming on the schedule, they’ll need their best performer fit and raring to go at the earliest possible opportunity.
Whether he’s going to be in a position to do this is another matter.
McCaffrey is the heart and soul of Carolina’s offense. No matter how many of their wide receivers are making their presence felt on any given Sunday, for the Panthers to be successful they need the former first-round pick lining up in the backfield.
It’s not only the production McCaffrey gives you with the ball in his hands. It’s the way defensive schemes alter with his mere presence on the field.
If the Panthers were to eventually decide they would be better off shutting down McCaffrey to preserve his long-term health, it would be met with derision by a fanbase who are growing increasingly frustrated at the team’s inability to win close games.
There’s no way the player would want this situation to present itself. McCaffrey is a hugely competitive and hungry individual – something that has been at the forefront of his phenomenal rise to prominence – and it is highly unlikely he would sign off on such an offer.