Carolina Panthers running back Christian McCaffrey inspired some hope for his Week 5 status over the past few days. Not only was he a limited participant throughout practices leading up to Sunday, a relatively encouraging sign, but he also said he was feeling “good” in the process.
Unfortunately, he wasn’t feeling good enough.
After carrying the “doubtful” designation into today’s contest against the Philadelphia Eagles, McCaffrey has now been officially ruled out. This is now the second straight game where the Panthers’ star rusher will be in his civilian clothes due to a strained hamstring.
McCaffrey, at the conclusion of this one, will have now missed 15 of Carolina’s last 21 games, dating back to his 13 absences in 2020.
Here’s the full list of inactives for the Panthers on the day:
RB Christian McCaffrey
LB Shaq Thompson
T Cameron Erving
WR Shi Smith
DT Phil Hoskins
CB Rashaan Melvin
DE Darryl Johnson
Thompson and Erving, as they were ruled out on Friday, are of no surprise.
Who may be, however, is Melvin, who has provided some much needed depth at the cornerback spot. His status may indicate more of a workload for C.J. Henderson in his second game as a Panther.
And here’s who’s down for the visitors:
QB Gardner Minshew
CB Mac McCain
T Lane Johnson
C/G Jack Anderson
DT Marlon Tuipulotu
