4 ways the Panthers can win without Christian McCaffrey in 2022
By Dean Jones
How can the Carolina Panthers win without Christian McCaffrey if the running back suffers further injury problems in 2022?
Christian McCaffrey has been the heart and soul of the Carolina Panthers for some time now. The running back was on a Pro Football Hall of Fame trajectory before a series of unfortunate injuries struck over the last two seasons, which derailed the team’s progress significantly given how over-reliant they’ve been on the All-Pro.
Seeing the offense completely disintegrate once McCaffrey went to the sidelines was a tough watch. Something that has to change this time around if the Panthers are forced to cope with further complications on the health front next season.
Hopefully, that won’t be the case. McCaffrey has been working on improving his own preparation and the onus will also be on Carolina to come up with a better way to keep their best offensive weapon fit and firing for a full slate.
That is no guarantee, obviously. So here are four ways the Panthers can still win without McCaffrey in 2022.
Way to Win No. 1
Carolina Panthers must enhance TE involvement
This is important whether Christian McCaffrey is on the field or not. But if the Carolina Panthers were forced to move forward without the Stanford product, then increasing production from the tight end position is an absolute necessity.
The Panthers remain confident in Tommy Tremble and Ian Thomas fulfilling their promise under new offensive coordinator Ben McAdoo. Both players have the physical tools, it’s becoming consistent that appears to be the biggest stumbling block.
Carolina must enhance the tight end position somehow in 2022. And there is a high chance this can be accomplished with McAdoo calling the shots.