Could Christian McCaffrey Return This Week for the Panthers?

The Panthers' star running back appears to be nearing his return to the field

Somehow, someway, the Carolina Panthers are on a roll and are 3-0 since star running back Christian McCaffrey went down with an ankle injury vs Tampa Bay.

I think most people, including myself, thought that McCaffrey's injury was about to be the start of things really going south for the Panthers, but instead, they have fought, battled, and now find themselves tied atop the NFC South with the Saints and Buccaneers through week five.

A big part of the team's success can be awarded to Mike Davis, who has been nothing short of spectacular since filling in for the injured McCaffrey. He's not just a bruiser in the run game, but has also been a nice checkdown option for quarterback Teddy Bridgewater. Davis has played so well that he has likely earned himself a certain number of touches even when McCaffrey returns to the lineup, which could be soon.

During Monday's press conference, head coach Matt Rhule provided an update on McCaffrey as this will be entering the fourth week that he has been on the shelf. 

"He'll get a series of tests this week just to see his progress, so once the doctors say he's clear and he feels like he's clear, then we'll activate him," Rhule said. "But I'm not sure exactly when that'll be."

Rhule doesn't want to rule out the possibility of McCaffrey returning this week vs the Chicago Bears, but says that he'll know more in the coming days.

"I wouldn't want to be hypothetical with it. I'd wait and see how things go today and I'll give you guys a better picture on Wednesday. I'd rather have the doctors tell me based on tests and all that."

Considering that this is an injury that typically takes 4-6 weeks to recover from, I'm willing to bet that McCaffrey will not want to rush his return, especially since the team is playing well in his absence. Next Sunday's game at New Orleans or the Thursday night contest vs the Falcons appear to be a more realistic timeline for folks to see No. 22 on the field again.

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