The Carolina Panthers experienced some bad déjà vu yesterday, when new kicker Eddy Piñeiro—who was replacing their usual kicker Zane Gonzalez—popped up on the first injury report of the regular season. And if that’s bad déjà vu, then what do you consider Christian McCaffrey already hitting the list?
On Thursday, the team’s star running back was added to the report. But take a deep breath, Panthers fans and McCaffrey fantasy owners alike—he’s fine.
McCaffrey was marked as a full participant with a shin issue. Head coach Matt Rhule would later tell reporters that the sixth-year rusher only sustained a cut on said shin after being hit by a cleat.
Phew . . .
| Injury | Wed. | Thurs. | Fri. | Game status | |
| K Eddy Piñeiro | Hip | Full | Full | ||
| FB Giovanni Ricci | Hip | Limited | Limited | ||
| RB Christian McCaffrey | Shin | – | Full |
As for Piñeiro, special teams coordinator Chris Tabor said earlier in the day that he has no concerns over his kicker’s status for Sunday’s season opener.
