Report: Panthers receiving calls to inquire about Christian McCaffrey

Christian McCaffrey’s days with the Carolina Panthers might be numbered. According to Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports, the Panthers have fielded multiple calls from NFL teams inquiring about McCaffrey.

Jones notes that McCaffrey isn’t on the trade block, but that hasn’t stopped teams from calling about him. And if the Panthers were to trade McCaffrey, they would likely be looking for a substantial package in return.

“If a team wishes to add McCaffrey, I’m told the Panthers would be looking for a first-round pick plus another piece of compensation in order to ship one of the most versatile offensive weapons in the NFL today,” Jones said.

McCaffrey proved to be one of the NFL’s top all-around offensive weapons over the course of his first three seasons in the league. In 2018, he rushed for 1,098 yards and seven touchdowns and added 107 receptions for 867 yards and six more scores. In 2019, he had 1,387 rushing yards and 15 touchdowns, adding 116 receptions for 1,005 yards and four touchdowns.

McCaffrey’s strong 2019 season earned him All-Pro honors, and he was also named a Pro Bowler. Following that season, McCaffrey signed a four-year, $64 million contract extension, making him the highest paid NFL running back on a per-year basis. But since signing that deal, McCaffrey simply hasn’t been able to stay on the field.

McCaffrey has played just ten games over the past two years for the Panthers

When McCaffrey is on the field, he is one of the NFL’s best players. But the issue for the Panthers has been keeping him on the field. During the 2020 season, fresh off of his new contract, McCaffrey played in just three games, where he rushed for 225 yards and five touchdowns and added 17 receptions for 149 yards and another score. This past season, McCaffrey played in seven games, totaling 442 rushing yards and one touchdown, adding 37 receptions for 343 yards and another score.

McCaffrey has dealt with a few different injuries. Over the past two years, he has dealt with ankle sprains, shoulder A/C joint sprains, thigh glute strains, and hamstring strains.

Even though he is one of the NFL’s best offensive weapons when healthy, McCaffrey’s possible trade value, if the Panthers make him available, is likely going to be hindered by his recent history of injuries. Carolina selected McCaffrey eighth overall in the 2017 NFL Draft out of Stanford, and while the potential is undoubtedly there, it has become hard to rely on the oft-injured star.

The Panthers drafted Chuba Hubbard out of Oklahoma State in last year’s draft, and he led the team in rushing this season.