It's been a brutal 2020 season for Christian McCaffrey, and might get worse, depending upon how the next day or so goes. In his return to the field against the reigning Super Bowl champs, the two-time All-Pro helped the Carolina Panthers drag the Kansas City Chiefs into an all-out bar brawl no one expected to see, looking quite healthy en route to finishing with 151 yards from scrimmage with two touchdowns. Unfortunately for McCaffrey, it appears he suffered a new injury during the fight, and is now nursing a shoulder issue.
More tests are set to be done on Monday, per Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, but his status for Week 10 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers is reportedly very much in doubt. McCaffrey's return against the Chiefs was his first contest since being sidelined with an ankle injury that cost him the previous six games. If he's unable to go against the Bucs, it'll be running back Mike Davis getting the lion's share of the work.
Losing McCaffrey for any amount of time is a massive blow for the Panthers offense, considering he's not only the best running back in the entire NFL, but also one of the more prolific wide receivers. The 31 points scored in Week 9 against the Chiefs ties for the highest point tally for the Panthers in 2020, narrowly topping a 30-point season opener in which McCaffrey also played. Without their resident firework on the field, the team's offense averaged just 22 points per game.
Teddy Bridgewater has done well in doing what he can to carry the team, but without his most dynamic weapon on the field, it's been a tough road to hoe. The Panthers will now await test results to tell them if McCaffrey will suit up on Sunday, or if he'll miss a seventh game this season.
