3 scenarios that could see Carolina Panthers trade Christian McCaffrey
By Dean Jones
What scenarios could emerge that result in the Carolina Panthers trading All-Pro running back Christian McCaffrey before the 2022 deadline?
The future of Carolina Panthers running back Christian McCaffrey is in doubt after the organization leaked feelers suggesting they were open to trading the All-Pro. Interest is reportedly high in the former first-round pick, who could be the missing piece for a contending team en route to a potential Super Bowl triumph in 2022.
Carolina needs to put itself in a better position both financially and in terms of draft compensation for its new head coach. Matt Rhule’s left quite a mess after being fired last week, so moving McCaffrey while he still holds value is something those in power are no doubt considering as part of their long-term strategy.
McCaffrey is still the best offensive weapon Carolina has. But with the team going nowhere fast, striking while the iron is hot might be the best-case scenario for all parties.
A lot must happen between now and then. With that in mind, here are three scenarios that could result in the Panthers trading McCaffrey before the deadline on November 1.
Scenario No. 1
Christian McCaffrey forces a trade
This would be highly unlikely given Christian McCaffrey’s overall approach. But one suspects he didn’t take too kindly to the Carolina Panthers leaking their intentions to strike a deal.
McCaffrey knows better than anyone that this is a business. He’s been around long enough to know how things work and what could happen now that Matt Rhule is no longer around.
Things would need to be pretty drastic for McCaffrey to force this issue. So he’ll probably just wait and see what the future holds before getting the chance to sign off on a change of scenery.