Carolina Panthers fans who were expecting to see running back Christian McCaffrey during the preseason will be disappointed. Panthers head coach Matt Rhule has ruled him out as they attempt to avoid aggravating any old injuries unnecessarily.
McCaffrey hasn’t played a full season in two years, so it’s understandable why Rhule would limit his action this coming season.
For all intent and purposes, the Panthers’ 2021-2022 season went off the rails once McCaffrey was injured. The Panthers had started the season undefeated but then suffered a setback with injuries to McCaffrey before they replaced quarterback Sam Darnold with Cam Newton.
That clearly didn’t help the team as they finished the season with a 5-12 record, losing 7 straight games at one point. Rhule is not only trying to save McCaffrey but also perhaps his own skin. Rhule has only 10 wins in his career as the Panthers’ head coach, so he is probably coaching for his job this upcoming season.
Having McCaffrey healthy this upcoming season will be a big help in that regard. He has been the guy for the Panthers’ offense the last few years when not injured. The running back had back-to-back 1,000 yards seasons in 2018 and 2019 before injuries limited him.
No wonder the Panthers are going to do whatever they can to not only preserve Christian McCaffrey but their upcoming season as well.
