4 Panthers players on offense under pressure to perform in 2021

Christian McCaffrey – Carolina Panthers RB

Getting Christian McCaffrey back to full health will be like a new signing for the Carolina Panthers next season. The star running back appeared in just three games throughout the previous campaign thanks to ankle, shoulder, and quad problems, which was a body blow for a young roster that was more reliant on the All-Pro than ever.

Therein lies the problem.

The Panthers cannot keep riding McCaffrey into the ground moving forward if they want to maximize his production. This is something that was clearly recognized by the front office this offseason judging by their decision to draft Chuba Hubbard, who could take some of the load off and fill in when the Stanford product needs some time on the sidelines.

Mike Davis is no longer around after joining the Atlanta Falcons in free agency, so providing Hubbard fits in well there is a big role awaiting him as a rookie.

That being said, the Panthers will only go as far as McCaffrey takes them.

He is the NFL’s best dual-threat back when healthy and providing there are no further complications on the injury front, the ceiling could not be higher for a player that went over 1,000 yards rushing and receiving in 2019.

Carolina wants to start seeing a return on their investment after giving McCaffrey a record-breaking contract last year. Judging by offseason workout footage, CMC could be back to his old self in no time at all.