How would Christian McCaffrey’s numbers have looked with a full season?
By Dean Jones
What was Christian McCaffrey on pace for during the 2020 season with the Carolina Panthers before injuries took their toll on the running back?
Christian McCaffrey endured a frustrating season with the Carolina Panthers due to various injury problems. His iron man image was shattered in no uncertain terms and this played a leading role in the organization eventually finishing with a 5-11 record and a case of “what might have been” from their efforts.
There are little doubting McCaffrey’s credentials. He is one of the best dual-threat weapons in the NFL and had he been available for more than the three games he turned out in, Carolina’s fortunes might have looked even more promising in the first year of Matt Rhule’s tenure.
The former first-round pick went to the reserve/injured list with a high ankle sprain suffered in Week 2. McCaffrey made an encouraging return at the Kansas City Chiefs before a shoulder injury suffered late in the game resulted in another spell on the sidelines.
McCaffrey’s misery was compounded by a quad problem that occurred during an individual workout away from the team facility, which kept him out of the crucial run-in.
This wasn’t exactly what the Panthers hoped for after they gave the player a four-year, $64 million deal with a $21 million signing bonus and $38 million guaranteed last year. So the All-Pro goes into 2021 with a big point to prove for the first time since he entered the league.
It’s not as if McCaffrey was underperforming on the field. But rather the wear and tear of carrying the load for the last two seasons finally catching up with him to a certain extent.
Had the Stanford product managed to stay healthy for the entire campaign, what sort of numbers could he have ended up with?