The Carolina Panthers suffered multiple losses during Sunday's game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Carolina fell to the Bucs after failing to mount a second-half comeback, and also lost star running back Christian McCaffrey to injury.
McCaffrey left the game due to an ankle injury, and Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reported “CMC” will undergo further testing on Monday to assess the severity of the issue.
#Panthers RB Christian McCaffrey, ruled out with an ankle, will have an MRI tomorrow to gain a full understanding of his ailment. The initial hope is it’s not too serious. But tomorrow will be telling.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) September 20, 2020
The Panthers did not have success establishing McCaffrey as an offensive weapon when he was on the field.
McCaffrey rushed 18 times for just 59 yards, though he did find the end zone twice. The former Stanford product also had four receptions for 29 yards.
But the Panthers are more concerned with the long-term ramifications of McCaffrey's ankle injury.
The 24-year-old dominated in 2019, leading the NFL in yards from scrimmage (2,392) and total touchdowns (19) while going over the 1,000-yard mark in both rushing and receiving.
Carolina immediately made its financial commitment to McCaffrey this past offseason, inking him to a four-year, $64 million contract extension in April.
The Panthers will hope the injury is not too severe. Outside of the fact McCaffrey is their most dangerous offensive weapon, the Panthers also lack depth in the backfield.
Mike Davis is currently Carolina's backup running back, but Davis had all of 13 carries last season. It would be a tough ask for Davis to replace McCaffrey over an extended period of time. Perhaps the Panthers will scope out the free agent market in the event McCaffrey is indeed forced to sit out multiple weeks.
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