Panthers’ Christian McCaffrey could miss time after sustaining shoulder injury against Chiefs, report says

It’s been a brutal 2020 season for Christian McCaffrey, and could get worse, depending on how the next day or two. Returning to the field against the defending Super Bowl champions, the two-time All-Pro helped the Carolina Panthers drag the Kansas City Chiefs into an all-out bar fight no one expected to see, pretending healthy about to finish with 151 scrimmage yards with two touchdowns. Unfortunately for McCaffrey, it looks like he suffered a new injury during the fight and is now treating a shoulder problem.

Further tests are expected to be carried out on Monday, per Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network, but his status for Week 10 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers would be highly questionable. McCaffrey’s return against the Chiefs was his first fight since being sidelined with an ankle injury that cost him the previous six games. If he can’t face the Bucs, it will be running back Mike Davis who gets the lion’s share of the job.

Losing McCaffrey for a while is a big blow to the Panthers’ offense, considering he’s not only the best running back in the entire NFL, but also one of the most prolific receivers. The 31 points scored in Week 9 against the Chiefs draw the Panthers’ highest point total in 2020, narrowly surpassing a 30-point season opener in which McCaffrey also played. Without their resident fireworks on the pitch, the team’s offense averaged just 22 points per game.

Teddy Bridgewater did what he could to carry the team, but without his most dynamic weapon on the pitch the road was tough to hoe. The Panthers will now wait for test results to tell them whether McCaffrey will dress on Sunday or miss a seventh game this season.