Christian McCaffrey to test hamstring Wednesday/TODAY, could face Eagles
from Zac Wassink, with YardBarker.com/www.yardbarker.com
It was said back on Sept. 24 that Carolina Panthers All-Pro running back Christian McCaffrey would be sidelined “a few weeks” because of his latest hamstring injury.
McCaffrey missed Sunday’s 36-28 loss to the Dallas Cowboys, but The Athletic’s Joseph Person reports that Carolina head coach Matt Rhule told reporters the star ball-carrier will look to test his leg on Wednesday:
Joe Person
@josephperson
Matt Rhule says Christian McCaffrey indicated he’s going to come out to practice on Wednesday “and see where he is football-wise.”
Too early to say whether he’ll play this week.
It’s unclear if McCaffrey will be able to play in this coming Sunday’s matchup against the Philadelphia Eagles (1-3).
Thus far this season, McCaffrey has 201 rushing yards and a touchdown on 52 attempts along with 16 receptions for 163 yards. Rookie Chuba Hubbard replaced the injured McCaffrey in the lineup against Dallas and rushed for 57 yards on 13 carries. Quarterback Sam Darnold rushed for a pair of scores in the losing effort.
The Eagles, meanwhile, are coming off three straight defeats following their Week 4 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs.
from Darin Gantt, at www.carolinapanthers.com:
Christian McCaffrey returns to practice field
CHARLOTTE — The Panthers don’t know at the moment what it means, but they know they saw their best offensive player on the practice field Wednesday afternoon.
Running back Christian McCaffrey was back in practice, for his first serious on-field work since he strained his hamstring at Houston on Sept. 23.
Panthers head coach Matt Rhule will update the injury report later today with McCaffrey’s status, and possibly his outlook for this week’s game against the Eagles.
But realistically, the real indicator will be tomorrow, when they see how the 25-year-old running back recovers from today’s work.
McCaffrey entered Week 3 leading the league in yards from scrimmage, and he’s still 13th with 364 despite missing a game and a half.
+++++++++More from Darin Gantt, at CarolinaPanthers.com:++++++++++
CHARLOTTE — Stephon Gilmore is coming home.
The Panthers traded for the veteran cornerback Wednesday, sending a 2023 sixth-rounder to New England.
The 31-year-old Rock Hill native adds some stability and credibility to their secondary, which has been hit hard by injuries this season.
Gilmore was named Associated Press NFL Defensive Player of the Year in 2019, and was a first-team All-Pro selection in 2018 and 2019.
Originally a first-round pick of the Bills in 2012, Gilmore signed a five-year, $65 million deal with the Patriots in 2017.
He suffered a quad injury late last season, and was placed on the physically unable to perform list to start this season. He’d have been eligible to return after Week 6, but the Patriots were expected to release him after they couldn’t agree to a restructured contract. He’ll be able to make his debut for the Panthers in Week 7 against the Giants.
A former Mr. Football in South Carolina, Gilmore led South Pointe High to the 2008 state title his senior year. Playing alongside 2014 No. 1 overall pick Jadeveon Clowney, Gilmore quarterbacked the Stallions to a 15-0 record before heading to the University of South Carolina.
He still lives in the area in the offseason, so settling in for him will be easy.