4 options the Carolina Panthers have with Christian McCaffrey in 2022

Trading Christian McCaffrey

There is one more possibility that would be nothing short of a bombshell.

That, of course, is trading Christian McCaffrey.

The Carolina Panthers made life much more difficult in this regard by giving McCaffrey a bumper new contract. But he remains one of the most skilled running backs in football and it’s something those in power might want to take advantage of despite his recent injury problems.

Teams are always looking for a game-changing weapon on offense. But whether or not McCaffrey’s value can be maximized with no recent reliability is the biggest question facing Carolina if they went in this direction.

McCaffrey is a very important piece of the puzzle. Players with his skill set don’t grow on trees and trading him at any stage during the offseason is a monumental call to make.

There is also the financial aspect to consider. Should the Panthers trade McCaffrey before June 1 it comes with a dead-cap figure of $18.53 million, leaving them with a $4.22 million bill and no savings at all.

However, if McCaffrey is traded after the June 1 date, things look more appealing money-wise. Carolina would be left with $5.7 million in dead money and $8.6 million added to their cap.

This would be the most drastic of moves. McCaffrey is one of the league’s best at what he does and giving up on the player is a franchise-altering decision that would define the tenures of Matt Rhule and Scott Fitterer.