Rival Teams Can Dream, But Panthers Not Trading Injury-Riddled Christian McCaffrey

Calm down, opposing general managers. The Carolina Panthers aren't trading standout running back Christian McCaffrey.

It's true that McCaffrey is out for the season after suffering an ankle injury in Sunday's loss against the Miami Dolphins, as relayed by OutKick's Megan Turner. And it's true that rival GMs are gauging whether the Panthers would like to move on.

But forget about it, the Panthers seem to be saying, via Joseph Person of The Athletic.

https://twitter.com/CltSquawks/status/1465463493914734595

Why would other teams think they might have a shot at McCaffrey in the first place? For one main reason: McCaffrey has had trouble staying on the field. His latest setback marks his second stint on the IR this season.

Combine that with McCaffrey's contract, and opposing teams have started salivating over the idea of adding him.

https://twitter.com/Panthers/status/1465447338932117504

"The eighth overall pick in the 2017 draft, McCaffrey signed a four-year, $64MM extension in April 2020. Injuries had not been a cause for concern at the time, even going back to his time at Stanford," wrote Adam La Rose of Pro Football Rumors. "Now, however, his contract — which sees his cap hit spike to $14.3MM for the 2022 season and climb as high as $17.7MM in 2025 – could hamper the Panthers if he can’t stay healthy."

Hey, it's OK to dream when you're looking to add something special. But when it comes to McCaffrey, opposing GMs seemingly need to realize that's all it is -- a dream.