Yahoo Finance Good news, bad news: Christian McCaffrey expected to return, but Panthers place 8 on COVID-19 list
It’s a day of emotional peaks and valleys for the Carolina Panthers.
On the good news side, running back Christian McCaffrey is expected to return from a shoulder injury and get some long-awaited game action against the Denver Broncos on Sunday.
Panthers RB Christian McCaffrey (shoulder) is expected to play on Sunday after missing the last three games. ‘’There’s nothing to make me think he’s not,’’ coach Matt Rhule said.
— David Newton (@DNewtonespn) December 7, 2020
McCaffrey has played just three games this season in Weeks 1, 2 and 9. He missed Weeks 3-8 with an ankle injury and came back in Week 9 only to injure his shoulder during that game. He’s been out every game since.
This isn’t the season anyone envisioned for McCaffrey after he signed a four-year, $64 million extension with the Panthers in April, making him the highest-paid running back in NFL history. Injuries have robbed him of the chance to repeat or improve on his fantastic 2019 season, and the 4-8 Panthers could have used him. McCaffrey may be too late to save the Panthers’ season, but he’ll at least get a chance to do what he does best: play football.
Panthers place eight players on COVID list
It’s extremely fortunate that McCaffrey is expected to return, because the Panthers will need every player they can find this week. The team announced on Monday afternoon that it has placed eight players on the reserve/COVID-19 list.
Those players are: wide receivers DJ Moore and Curtis Samuel, defensive tackles Derrick Brown and Zach Kerr, linebacker Shaq Thompson, tackle Greg Little and punter Michael Palardy. The eighth player is wide receiver Ishmael Hyman, who is on the practice squad. The Panthers didn’t disclose if any players had tested positive for COVID-19 or if they were determined to be high-risk contacts of someone who had tested positive. Either scenario could land a player on the list.
It’s still early in the week, so if any players were deemed high-risk contacts it’s possible that they could come off the list in time for Sunday’s game. If not, the Panthers will be very short-handed against the Broncos.
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