The Panthers designated running back Christian McCaffrey to return from the injured reserve list on Tuesday. It sounds like he’s not going to be in uniform for tonight’s game against Atlanta, though.
According to a report by Tom Pelissero at NFL Network, McCaffrey is not expected to be activated for this one.
#Panthers RB Christian McCaffrey (ankle) isn’t expected to be activated from injured reserve for tonight’s game against the #Falcons, per sources. He returned to practice Tuesday and Carolina hasn’t formally ruled him out. But it was a long shot all week and remains that way.
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) October 29, 2020
The Panthers have until 4:00 p.m. today to activate McCaffrey if they do decide to play him.
It seems like a bad idea, though. The Falcons are one of the worst teams in the league this season and Carolina has already beaten them without No. 22 on the field.
If McCaffrey sits out tonight, he’ll get an extra 10 days of rest before the team’s next game in Week 9 against the reigning Super Bowl champion Chiefs.
In McCaffrey’s place, Mike Davis has played at a high level, proving elusive as a rusher and reliable as a receiver. He got shut down by the Saints last week but in every other game he’s been productive. Against Atlanta Week 5 he posted 149 yards from scrimmage and scored a touchdown.
Update:
The Charlotte Observer is reporting that McCaffrey will not be playing tonight.
Christian McCaffrey will not be activated off injured reserve prior to tonight's game, per a league source. He will miss his sixth straight game as expected.
— Alaina Getzenberg (@agetzenberg) October 29, 2020
