The status of Carolina Panthers running back Christian McCaffrey grew a bit more curious following his complete absence from practice on Thursday. After a week of some progression before their matchup against the Philadelphia Eagles and a limited session the day prior, the star rusher was seemingly trending in the right direction.
Well, the only direction now is down.
As announced by the team on Saturday afternoon, McCaffrey has been placed on the injured reserve. This will keep the fifth-year back and his strained hamstring down for at least three more games.
McCaffrey sustained the leg injury during the Thursday night showdown with the Houston Texans back in Week 3. He has missed the Panthers’ last two outings, both losses, as a result.
These three additional games will, at a minimum, add up to five on the young campaign. By the time this stint is completed, he will have missed 19 of Carolina’s last 25 games.
The team also announced that rookie guard Deonte Brown, who left practice on Friday with a “knee issue,” will join McCaffrey on the injured reserve. They will also opt not to activate fellow guard Pat Elflein for Week 6’s clash with the Minnesota Vikings.
