The Carolina Panthers announced Monday that Christian McCaffrey is being placed on injured reserve, thus ending the star running back's 2021 season with five games remaining on the schedule.
This marks McCaffrey's second trip to IR this season, which automatically means he'll miss the remainder of the NFL campaign. It comes after the 25-year-old suffered an ankle injury Sunday in Carolina's 33-10 loss to the Miami Dolphins at Hard Rock Stadium.
McCaffrey, who missed five games earlier this season with a hamstring injury, played just two snaps in the second half in Week 12. Panthers head coach Matt Rhule said Monday morning that McCaffrey's MRI came back negative, but the team later announced it revealed enough damage to warrant an IR stint.
McCaffrey, the eighth overall pick in 2017, played in all 16 games in each of his first three NFL seasons. He's battled various ailments over the past two years, though. He'll finish this season having played in just seven games after appearing in only three games last season.
This news obviously is a huge blow to Carolina's playoff hopes. The Panthers currently own a 5-7 record, losing seven of their last nine games after starting the season 3-0.
It's also devastating for fantasy football owners, as McCaffrey was the No. 1 overall pick in many leagues this season despite the injuries he suffered in 2020. He'll finish 2021 with 442 rushing yards and 37 catches for 343 receiving yards. He found the end zone twice (once rushing and once receiving).
