4 Carolina Panthers players who must rebound in 2022
By Dean Jones
Christian McCaffrey – Carolina Panthers RB
This has nothing to do with Christian McCaffrey‘s production, which remains of a high standard when healthy. However, keeping the running back on the field has been a major stumbling block for the Carolina Panthers over the last two years and something that has to change moving forward.
Trading McCaffrey at the present time doesn’t seem like a realistic avenue to go down considering the salary cap implications, The All-Pro is also a huge part of what Carolina attempts to do on offense and that should remain the case under new offensive coordinator Ben McAdoo.
It’s a massive season upcoming for McCaffrey. One suspects the Panthers might take some off the pressure from his shoulders in an attempt to keep him fresh, but he’ll still be tasked with a large amount with a point to prove in 2022.
Perhaps utilizing McCaffrey more in the slot and the passing game, in general, could be beneficial for all parties. Continuing to use the player in between the tackles is no longer an option after appearing in just 10 games during the previous two campaigns.
McCaffrey’s situation is a complex one. The Panthers are a different animal when he’s on the field at the peak of his powers, but this is something that can no longer be guaranteed and a better contingency plan needs to be created in the event he’s forced to miss additional time when competitive fixtures resume once again.