Carolina Panthers superstar running back Christian McCaffrey will miss multiple weeks due to a high ankle sprain injury, according to ESPn’s David Newton.
Panthers’ head coach Matt Rhule announced McCaffrey’s injury on Monday, saying he will miss “multiple weeks”, before lauding Mike Davis, who will fill in for McCaffrey while he is sidelined.
“Mike Davis is a starting tailback in the National Football League,” Rhule said. “He got out there [Sunday] and made some great catches. Was physical. He was ready when his number was called. He’ll play well in Christian’s absence.”
McCaffrey limped to the sideline following a fourth-down touchdown run during their loss against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, however, Rhule said that the injury happened two plays prior.
McCaffrey would not return to the game.
“I hate it for him,” Rhule said. “No one wants to be out there and play more than Christian does. He had this for a reason. I’m sure he’s rehabbing right now. I talked to him earlier today, and I’m sure he’ll get back as quickly as he can.”
McCaffrey is the focal point of the offense, and whom the team is building around for the future.
“I care about our players beyond just football, beyond just winning,” Rhule said. “So when a guy gets hurt, whether he’s a really talented player or a guy that’s just hanging on as the 53rd guy, I hate to see it.
“Christian is a special player. But even more so, he’s a special person. I know how badly he wants to be out there for his team. After the game, he was upset he wasn’t out there to help us at the very end.”
“We’ll keep doing what we’re doing,” Rhule said. “Mike can run the football. He can catch the ball out of the backfield. When he went in there [Sunday] we didn’t change what we did. He made the most out of his opportunities. I’m sure he will do the same thing [this week].”
