4 Panthers players who’ll be glad to see the back of 2020
By Dean Jones
Christian McCaffrey – Carolina Panthers RB
Christian McCaffrey was riding a crest of a wave heading into 2020. The running back became only the third player in NFL history to go over 1,000 yards rushing and receiving last time around and he was in a confident mood after the Carolina Panthers gave him a four-year, $64 million extension with a $21 million signing bonus and $38 million guaranteed.
Things haven’t gone according to the script since.
There has been nothing wrong with McCaffrey’s production. It’s how little he’s been on the field that’s been concerning and something which has hampered the Panthers despite the eye-catching production of Mike Davis in his absence.
The former first-round pick has featured in just three games for the Panthers thanks to ankle, shoulder, and quad problems. McCaffrey hadn’t missed a competitive game over his first three years in the league and hopefully, for the player and the franchise, this is not a trend that continues moving forward.
These are the sort of complications that make things risky when it comes to paying running backs the going rate. There are few who would deny that McCaffrey wasn’t worthy of such an extension given how he’s performed. But he’ll need to be reliable and productive once again in 2021 to avoid any further doubts about the decision.