Carolina Panthers

Amid another season-ending injury, Christian McCaffrey's future with the Carolina Panthers doesn't appear to be in jeopardy. 

Per The Athletic's Joseph Person, the Panthers have "no plans to trade" McCaffrey this offseason. 

The Panthers announced on Monday that McCaffrey was placed on season-ending injured reserve because of lingering issues from an ankle injury he suffered in the 33-10 loss to the Miami Dolphins.

This marks the second major injury for McCaffrey this season. He missed five games after suffering a strained hamstring in Week 3 against the Houston Texans. 

When McCaffrey was able to play, he performed at a high level for the Panthers. He averaged 112.1 yards from scrimmage per game. His 37 receptions and 343 receiving yards rank second on the team, despite missing five games thus far. 

Durability has been an issue for McCaffrey over the past two seasons. The 2019 All-Pro suffered an ankle sprain in Week 2 of the 2020 campaign that kept him out for six games. 

Upon returning in Week 9, McCaffrey suffered a shoulder injury that ended his season. He is in the second year of a four-year, $64 million contract extension signed in April 2020. 

Per Spotrac, McCaffrey has an $8.4 million base salary in 2022. 

McCaffrey was one of the most dominant offensive players in the NFL from 2018-19. He had at least 200 rushing attempts and 100 receptions in both seasons. The 25-year-old led the league with 403 touches, 2,392 yards from scrimmage and 19 total touchdowns in 2019. 

Given all of the question marks for the Panthers beyond this season, including at quarterback where Cam Newton was brought back to replace the injured Sam Darnold and P.J. Walker's struggles, McCaffrey remains an essential player for the franchise moving forward. 

As long as McCaffrey can stay healthy, his ability as a running back and receiver will be crucial if the Panthers hope to compete for a playoff spot in 2022.    

It's Chuba Hubbard SZN again. 

The Carolina Panthers running back looks poised to get some more run after superstar Christian McCaffrey was ruled out for the season with an ankle injury. For fantasy players who rostered Hubbard back in September, an RB2 just appeared on their team. 

When McCaffrey went down with a hamstring injury in Week 3, Hubbard stepped up and rushed 11 times for 52 yards, adding three catches for 27 yards. It wasn't an explosive debut, but it was good enough, and Hubbard followed it up with several strong performances in the five weeks McCaffrey missed, rushing for 329 yards and two scores. 

You could look to that alone as proof that Hubbard has RB2 potential while McCaffrey is injured, but there is even more evidence that this Carolina offense is simply built to elevate running back production. 

Take the case of Mike Davis, now with the Atlanta Falcons, who served as the team's starter in 2020 after McCaffrey played in just three games due to injuries. Davis responded with 642 rushing yards, 59 catches for 373 yards and eight total touchdowns in 12 starts. 

That was good enough to propel Davis to the No. 12 running back in all of fantasy for the season, making him a waiver-wire all-star. And this season, Davis has largely fallen behind Cordarrelle Patterson on the pecking order at running back at Atlanta. 

Obviously, there's no guarantee that Hubbard will replicate that type of success in his second stint as the team's starter, but it's a pretty good bet he'll be worth rostering each and every week. So long as McCaffrey is sidelined, Hubbard has an RB2 ceiling and a flex floor. Not too shabby. 

The only concern could be the presence of Ameer Abdullah, who has seen more snaps over the past four weeks with everyone healthy, but the Panthers clearly saw Hubbard as the better option for full-time work.

Carolina Panthers running back Christian McCaffrey will miss the remainder of the season after being placed on injured reserve with an ankle injury.

It is McCaffrey's second stint on injured reserve, making him ineligible to return for the Panthers.

The 25-year-old was reportedly seen wearing a walking boot after suffering a left ankle injury in Carolina's Week 12 loss to the Miami Dolphins on Nov. 28. He finished the game with 10 carries for 35 yards, as he didn't receive a touch in the second half.

McCaffrey is one of the best running backs in the NFL, but he has struggled to stay on the field. He has missed 18 games over the past two seasons, including five this year with a hamstring issue. A high ankle sprain and shoulder and thigh injuries limited him to three games in 2020.

Through seven games this season, the Stanford product rushed for 442 yards and one touchdown. McCaffrey also caught 37 passes for 343 yards and a touchdown. Carolina is 1-4 when he's out of the lineup.

The eighth overall pick in the 2017 NFL draft, McCaffrey was named a second-team All-Pro in 2018 and a first-team All-Pro the following year. He was also named to his first Pro Bowl in 2019 after becoming the third player in league history to have 1,000 yards rushing and receiving in the same season.

The Panthers are used to his absences at this point. Rookie running back Chuba Hubbard will again step into the starting role. He has 427 rushing yards and three touchdowns this season.

After starting the season 3-0, Carolina has fallen to 5-7. Losing McCaffrey for the rest of the campaign is a big blow to the team's hopes of turning things around and making a playoff push.

Carolina Panthers star Christian McCaffrey was in a walking boot after suffering an ankle injury in Sunday's 33-10 loss to the Miami Dolphins, according to the Sun-Sentinel's Omar Kelly. 

Head coach Matt Rhule told reporters following the game the team was unsure as to the severity of McCaffrey's injury.

Cam Newton will remain the Carolina Panthers' starting quarterback after being benched during Sunday's 33-10 loss to the Miami Dolphins.

"I'm not making any changes right now," Carolina coach Matt Rhule told reporters after the game. "At the end of the day, we weren't protecting the quarterback."

The 32-year-old Newton was replaced by P.J. Walker after completing just five of 21 passes for 92 yards and two interceptions. He had a passer rating of 5.8.

Newton also rushed for a touchdown in the loss. It was just his second start of the season since rejoining the Panthers on a one-year deal earlier this month.

Carolina's decision to pivot to Walker didn't turn out much better, as the backup completed just five of 10 passes for 87 yards and an interception.

The 2015 MVP was much better in his first start for the team in last weekend's 27-21 loss to the Washington Football Team. He completed 21 of 27 passes for 189 yards and two touchdowns, in addition to 10 carries for 46 yards and a score.

The week prior, just days after he signed with the Panthers, Newton completed three of four passes for eight yards and a touchdown, in addition to 14 yards and another touchdown on the ground in a 34-10 win over the Arizona Cardinals.

The Panthers signed Newton after placing Sam Darnold on injured reserve with a shoulder ailment on Nov. 12. Darnold's expected recovery timeline is four to six weeks, and it sounds like Newton will continue to start in the meantime.

Carolina doesn't play again until Dec. 12 against the Atlanta Falcons, but it's unclear if Darnold will be ready to return at that point.

Newton has struggled in each of his last few seasons. He missed most of the 2019 campaign because of injuries and was below average in his stint with the New England Patriots in 2020, completing 65.8 percent of his passes for 2,657 yards, eight touchdowns and 10 interceptions.

Sunday's loss dropped Carolina to 5-7 on the season, fourth in the NFC South.

Just like old times.

Cam Newton played in front of the home fans for the Carolina Panthers for the first time since September 2019 when he started Sunday's 27-21 loss to the Washington Football Team and his former head coach Ron Rivera.

The Auburn product finished with 189 yards, two touchdowns and zero interceptions on 21-of-27 passing while adding 46 yards and one touchdown on the ground. However, he couldn't capitalize on two chances to win the game in the fourth quarter.

Newton wasted no time making his presence felt, marching the Panthers 75 yards on nine plays on the game's opening drive. He capped the possession with a touchdown pass to DJ Moore after faking that he would tuck it and run.

While the offense stalled with three straight punts after the opening touchdown, Newton used his legs for a 24-yard touchdown run in the second quarter to get Carolina back on the board before halftime.

The 32-year-old also had an impressive 27-yard touchdown pass to Christian McCaffrey to end a 91-yard drive in the second half, but he did not deliver with an opportunity to win the game.

Carolina turned it over on downs on each of its last two possessions, first while facing a three-point deficit and then when behind by six points. Washington sacked Newton on fourth down with a minute and 11 seconds remaining to seal the win.

This was Newton's first start since last season with the New England Patriots, who released him before the 2021 season. He signed with Carolina on Nov. 12 and worked into the quarterback rotation last week alongside starter P.J. Walker. He put up touchdowns on the first two possessions (one running and one passing) of Carolina's 34-10 win over the Arizona Cardinals.

He played in short-yardage and goal-line situations against the Cardinals, but the Panthers were more comfortable with him running the offense Sunday as they continue to play without the injured Sam Darnold.

Newton will forever be a Carolina legend after the franchise selected him with the No. 1 overall pick of the 2011 NFL draft.

His resume includes a trip to the Super Bowl, an MVP award, three Pro Bowl selections and Offensive Rookie of the Year.

He had the chance to add to his accolades as a starter Sunday but came up short despite solid individual numbers.

Carolina Panthers head coach Matt Rhule told reporters Friday that Cam Newton would serve as the team's starting quarterback against the Washington Football Team on Sunday. 

Newton played well last week in his first appearance since returning to the Panthers, finishing 3-of-4 for eight yards and a touchdown to go along with three runs for 14 yards and another score.

P.J. Walker started that game, finishing 22-of-29 for 167 yards and an interception. But the experienced Newton will get the nod for the Panthers on Sunday in his second tenure with the Panthers. 

"Cam will take the first play," Rhule told reporters, though he added that Walker would "probably" make an appearance as well. 

As for Newton, he's more than a little excited for Sunday's contest.

"There's no place I'd rather be on Sunday than Bank of America Stadium, because it will be a playoff atmosphere in more ways than one," he told reporters Thursday. "Let's get back to getting that edge and bringing the pride back to Carolina how I once knew it to be."

Newton downplayed the showdown against his former coach with the Panthers, Ron Rivera.

"Man, it's not about us," he said. "It's not about him. It's not about me. He knows how I feel about him. And he knows what it's going to be on Sunday."

Last week, Newton signed a one-year deal with the Panthers with starter Sam Darnold on injured reserve because of a shoulder injury.

The 32-year-old spent the first nine years of his career in Carolina and was a three-time Pro Bowler, one-time MVP and one-time first-team All-Pro selection. Now, he's trying to keep the 5-5 Panthers in playoff contention.

Washington Football Team head coach Ron Rivera said he's happy quarterback Cam Newton is getting a chance to reboot his career with the Carolina Panthers.

"I think it's an opportunity for him to go back home, pick up where he started off. It's kind of a cool deal," Rivera told reporters Wednesday.

Rivera and Newton spent nine years together in Carolina (2011-19), highlighted by a 15-1 season in 2015 that concluded with an appearance in Super Bowl 50 and the quarterback winning the NFL MVP Award.

The Panthers made the playoffs just once over the next four seasons, however, which led to widespread changes within the organization.

Rivera was fired late in the 2019 campaign, and Newton was released during the subsequent offseason before signing with the New England Patriots in free agency.

Washington quickly hired Rivera, who guided the team to an NFC East division title last season despite a lackluster 7-9 record. The team also lost to the eventual Super Bowl champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the Wild Card Round.

Newton struggled as a passer with the Pats, tossing eight touchdowns and 10 interceptions in 15 games, but remained effective on the ground with 12 rushing scores. He was released near the end of this year's preseason as New England decided to move forward with rookie Mac Jones as its starter.

The 32-year-old signal-caller remained a free agent until last week when he rejoined the Panthers following an injury to Sam Darnold. He accounted for two touchdowns (one passing and one rushing) in his first game back.

Now Rivera and Newton will reunite at Bank of America Stadium on Sunday, though this time they'll be on opposite sidelines.

The WFT coach explained he's trying to treat the situation as a "business trip" despite still having a lot of friends in Carolina and the sudden storyline of Newton being back with the Panthers. He did take a little time to reminisce about their success together across nearly a decade:

There are a lot of really cool moments. Everything from him being our first draft pick and the work that we put in to make him our first draft pick. You really know he's a good person. And that's the thing that I really respected was just deal with the type of young man he is, but really got the chance to see his family life, his home life. And that's something that I'll always remember. ...

The thing I always remember too is he hated to lose more than anybody I've ever been around. After the 2015 Super Bowl, you know, you don't realize, you know, that they called him a sore loser. Well, he is because he wants to win. I mean, that's who he is. I tried to deflect that just so people understand, the dude's going to give you everything he has, which he did. And unfortunately, we didn't win it.

It'll be all business once the opening kickoff takes place, as it's an important game for both Carolina (5-5) and Washington (3-6) as part of a wide-open NFC playoff race heading into the stretch run of the regular season.

Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton appears ready to make his first start of the season Sunday against the Washington Football Team.

"We're trending that way," head coach Matt Rhule said Wednesday.

Rhule said Monday that Newton was going to get first-team reps during practices this week in preparation for the team's Week 11 game.

Newton signed with the Panthers a week ago after starter Sam Darnold suffered a shoulder injury. P.J. Walker started in Week 10, but Newton was active and came through with both a passing touchdown and rushing touchdown in limited usage Sunday against the Arizona Cardinals.

The 32-year-old had been a free agent since being released by the New England Patriots after the preseason, but suddenly he has a chance to lead the Panthers.

ESPN's Adam Schefter reported Newton will get the chance to cement himself as the starter in 2021 with an opportunity to earn the job for 2022 as well. The team is not expecting Darnold to return this season.

Newton was a star during his first nine seasons with Carolina, earning three Pro Bowl selections and the MVP award in 2015. Injuries limited him in 2018 and '19, leading to his eventual release before he landed with the Patriots in 2020.

The veteran struggled as a passer in New England, totaling just eight passing touchdowns with 10 interceptions in 15 starts. He still excelled as a runner with 592 rushing yards and 12 touchdowns.

Newton will now look to redeem himself in the location where he has found most of his success.    

Washington Football Team head coach Ron Rivera knows firsthand what kind of challenge Cam Newton can pose on the gridiron.

"He's as dynamic a personality as there is," Rivera said of the Carolina Panthers star on 106.7 The Fan's Sports Junkies. "... We've got to contain him, and that's the truth of the matter. If he's the starting quarterback, we have to contain him. We've got to account for his triple threat; he can run the ball, hand the ball off or throw it."

Rivera coached Newton for nine seasons with the Panthers. He was at the helm when the three-time Pro Bowler threw for 3,837 yards and ran for 636 yards en route to winning MVP in 2015.

Granted, Newton is a diminished version of the quarterback who helped guide Carolina to Super Bowl 50. The 32-year-old hasn't been the same since experiencing nagging shoulder issues, which required surgery in January 2019.

Newton was limited to two games in 2019 before suffering a foot injury, and his 177.1 passing yards per game with the New England Patriots in 2020 were a career low.

Still, Carolina's 34-10 victory over the Arizona Cardinals demonstrated the danger he poses to an opposing defense. Newton scored on a two-yard touchdown run with his first touch. His first pass was a two-yard scoring throw to Robby Anderson.

As the 6'5" signal-caller gets more accustomed to the playbook, it seems reasonable to assume his role in the offense will grow.

"I want everything that Cam brings," head coach Matt Rhule said, per The Athletic's Joseph Person. "I don't want Cam lite. I want full Cam — as long as Cam is focused on football, which he is. So it's easy."

Even if P.J. Walker once again opens as the starter against Washington on Sunday or gets the majority of the first-team snaps, Newton's presence alone forces the WFT coaching staff to plan around what he can do with the ball in his hands.