A lot of folks have forgotten exactly who Carolina Panthers running back Christian McCaffrey is. But not Peter King.
In his latest edition of “Football Morning in America,” the NBC Sports scribe ran down his predictions for the 2022 season. And among those forecasts was his selection for the NFL Comeback Player of the Year award—an honor he sees McCaffrey taking home after going through a pair of disappointing seasons.
“McCaffrey’s a heavy favorite in my book, because when you’ve missed 13 and 10 games the past two years after playing your first 48 without injury, and you were a sensation in those 48, pretty much all you’ve got to do in year six is stay healthy for 17 weeks,” King writes. “Production will follow. That’s the big question, staying healthy. But I think McCaffery’s got a good shot to do so.”
McCaffrey, as King notes, has appeared in 10 of a possible 33 games dating back to the 2020 campaign. His numerous injuries—which included sprains and/or strains to his both ankles, his shoulder, his glute and his hamstring—have kept the once reliable rusher largely out of sight and out of mind in the grand scheme of the league.
But as he continues to learn about and adapt to recovery, can McCaffrey reestablish himself amongst the sport’s best? Can he become that 1,000-yard rusher and 1,000-yard receiver we saw just three years ago?
If he does, that award—and maybe some extra hardware for himself and the team as a whole—could very well be coming to Charlotte.
