With the Carolina Panthers continuing to spiral out, some big changes from the big cheese could come pretty soon. And if change is, indeed, on the horizon, will the team’s best player be apart of it?
According to Jason La Canfora of The Washington Post, he very well could be.
La Canfora reported on Tuesday that running back Christian McCaffrey could be a sacrificial lamb at some point, one that nets the franchise much needed assets in attracting its next batch of potential coaching candidates.
“NFL execs continue to tell me that Carolina running back Christian McCaffrey is a key name to keep an eye on ahead of the trade deadline,” he writes.
“Carolina doesn’t have a quarterback or a quality roster, and this team isn’t loaded with extra draft picks, either. That’s the stuff that attracts the top candidates. ‘That job, working for that owner, is a tough sell right now,’ as one NFL GM put it. Two general managers I spoke to anticipate the Panthers ultimately will be willing to eat a chunk of salary to move McCaffrey and others to add assets for the future. Either way, morale is very low in Carolina, and frustration is mounting.”
A new nugget from Will Kunkel of FOX Charlotte, however, would later refute La Canfora’s work. Kunkel, on Wednesday night, reported that the star rusher is not available via trade.
— Will Kunkel (@WillKunkelFOX) October 6, 2022
McCaffrey is the straw that stirs the drink that is the Panthers offense—even if that drink is completely sour to this point. Through four games, he’s amassed 270 rushing yards, 138 receiving yards and a pair of touchdowns over 77 touches.
But, being available now and being available later are two totally different things. So if Carolina digs itself an even deeper hole in the coming weeks, will their reported stance (whichever one that is) change?
