BREAKING: Panthers RB Christian McCaffrey Ruled OUT vs Lions
Wednesday afternoon, the Carolina Panthers announced that running back Christian McCaffrey (shoulder) has been officially ruled out of this week's game vs the Detroit Lions.
UPDATE: Since this article was published, the Panthers changed McCaffrey's status from OUT to "not expected to play".
McCaffrey missed six games earlier this season due to a high ankle sprain and returned two weeks ago against the Kansas City Chiefs. In that game, McCaffrey finished with 151 total yards of offense and two touchdowns before exiting the game on the final drive. ESPN's Adam Schefter reported early in the week that it was "unlikely" that McCaffrey would play, but head coach Matt Rhule said on Monday that he wasn't ready to rule out the possibility of him playing.
Backup running back Mike Davis was re-inserted into the starting lineup this past Sunday vs Tampa Bay and rushed for 32 yards on seven carries. Unfortunately, Davis came away from the game with an injured thumb so we will be closely following his status throughout the week. The Panthers signed undrafted free agent Rodney Smith from the practice squad ahead of last week's game and received three carries in the loss going for 13 yards. Trenton Cannon and wide receiver Curtis Samuel are also options for Matt Rhule and offensive coordinator Joe Brady to use in the run game.
The Panthers and Lions are set to kickoff this Sunday at 1 p.m. on FOX.
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