5 critical observations from Panthers HC Matt Rhule’s 2021 season

Matt Rhule should be held accountable for Christian McCaffrey’s workload

Among the most egregious decisions Matt Rhule made during the 2021 season, there was one that stood out – Christian McCaffrey’s workload. The Carolina Panthers had a star running back who has dealt with a boatload of injuries over previous campaign and needed to be slowly transitioned back into the offense.

Instead, Rhule and Joe Brady built the whole offense around McCaffrey, asking the All-Pro to take a workload even a healthy player shouldn’t have to handle. While one could argue that this decision led to a 3-0 start for the Carolina Panthers, it is also what cost Carolina their best player down the stretch.

In his first game back from a serious injury, McCaffrey was given the ball 30 times and had the offensive strategy built around him. Whether the fault lies on Brady or Rhule is debatable, but at the end of the day the head coach allowed his workload to become what it was and it cost the Panthers.

McCaffrey wasn’t going to save the Panthers’ season. However, the decision to give him the combined touches they did despite his injury history and issues speaks to the poor decision-making Rhule and the coaching staff displayed throughout 2021.