Carolina Panthers place star running back on injured reserve

In a surprising move, the Carolina Panthers placed Christian McCaffrey on the injured reserve on Monday. ESPN’s Tom Pelissero reported the move shortly after noon.

McCaffrey suffered an ankle injury on Sunday, however, head coach Matt Rhule told reporters on Monday that it didn’t appear serious. Now, it seems the opposite is true. Heading to the injured reserve for the second time this year ends the Panthers’ star season.

The Stanford alum was unable to continue to play versus Miami after rolling his ankle earlier during the game. He returned to the field but had to leave again to put on a walking boot.

Rhule told reporters that McCaffrey’s sprained ankle doesn’t appear serious. His X-rays came back negative but they were still waiting for a more specific diagnosis. McCaffrey ran for 35 yards on 10 attempts prior to the injury.

After undergoing the initial X-rays, McCaffrey also took an MRI exam, which revealed a more serious injury.

Panthers announce that an MRI Monday morning revealed an injury severe enough to place RB Christian McCaffrey back on injured reserve and he will miss the remainder of the season.

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) November 29, 2021

After their bye week coming this next week, the Panthers close out the season with four divisional games including two matches against the Buccaneers. Tampa Bay currently leads the NFC South with an 8-3 record.

Christian McCaffrey banged up again

McCaffrey has battled injury most of the season, an issue made worse as the Panthers have dealt with a number of changes to their offense in general. The Panthers fell to the Dolphins 33-10 on Sunday, falling to 5-7 on the season after a 3-0 start.

The All-Pro running back missed five weeks earlier this year as well with a hamstring injury.

Last season, Christian McCaffrey dealt with similar injury troubles. The former Stanford star played in just three games in 2020, which severely handicapped the Panthers’ offense.

In Christian McCaffrey’s absence this season, former Oklahoma State star Chuba Hubbard carried the load. In Week Five against the Philadelphia Eagles, the rookie running back had his best game, rushing for 101 yards. The Panthers also added veteran Ameer Abdullah to provide experience and pass-catching. While neither provides the package McCaffrey brings, they proved serviceable in the Panthers’ win over the Falcons.

With Sunday’s loss, the Panthers are currently last in the NFC South, but not as far out of the playoff hunt as that would normally imply. The Panthers are a half-game back from the Falcons and Saints, who are both 5-6 currently.

On3’s Austin Brezina contributed to this report.