4 reasons behind Christian McCaffrey’s no-show at the Dolphins

Christian McCaffrey wasn’t risked with the game out of hand

Had the game been a little closer, then there’s little doubt Christian McCaffrey would have been pushing to get on the field and help his team.

It might not have been all that wise – especially considering he suffered ankle complications in 2020 – but that’s just the sort of competitor he is.

However, there wasn’t much hope of the Carolina Panthers salvaging something from this one. That was apparent from pretty early on in proceedings.

McCaffrey was a non-factor due to the injury, but there was more to it. And there are some big questions awaiting this team from top to bottom in the coming days during their bye week.

Not risking McCaffrey when there was absolutely no point is a shrewd move.

Although there is a chance that he wasn’t medically cleared, in any case.

Again, all one can do is hope it’s nothing more than a tweak. But the decision to hand McCaffrey a bumper new deal considering the mileage on his tires is going to come under the microscope once again.

McCaffrey’s importance to the Panthers cannot be overstated. But their over-reliance on the player is why he’s in this sort of situation, to begin with.