Carolina Panthers star running back Christian McCaffrey is in the midst of an injury-riddled 2020 campaign that has seen him play just three games. The 2019 All-Pro member expressed his frustration over his injury mishaps this season. Nonetheless, he still saw some positive light over his extended stay on the sidelines.

Via Alaina Getzenberg of the Charlotte Observer:

“[It was] really frustrating. You work so hard for so long to come back and then something separate happens and that’s just the nature of the game,” McCaffrey said. “I think the best thing that’s come out of it, though, is I’ve learned a lot about the game, learned a lot about myself and I’ve been able to kind of experience that adversity of watching from the side.”

Christian McCaffrey suffered a high ankle sprain two games into the season, which forced him to miss six outings for Carolina. The 24-year-old finally returned to the field in Week 9 after a lengthy absence, putting together a big performance against the Kansas City Chiefs in a close loss. Unfortunately, the injury bug bit him again. McCaffrey injured his shoulder, which led him back to the sidelines for three more games.

Certainly, suffering back-to-back injuries separately and needing to go through extensive rounds of rehab each time can be difficult for any pro athlete. McCaffrey must be feeling more frustrated since this is the first time in his career that he has spent an extended amount of time out of commission due to injury.

The Panthers expect to have the one-time Pro Bowler back in the fold this weekend against the Denver Broncos. Though Carolina will miss the playoffs, giving Christian McCaffrey no real incentive to come back, he still hopes to finish this campaign strong and healthy as the franchise looks ahead to 2021.