Finally! The news that everyone has so eagerly anticipated over the last few days has arrived. Panthers running back Christian McCaffrey has been officially activated from the team’s injured reserve list. That means he’s cleared to play in Sunday’s game against the Chiefs.
McCaffrey enjoyed a hot start to the 2020 season before his injury. Even though his team went 0-2, McCaffrey scored four touchdowns and averaged over 111 yards from scrimmage per game in those contests. He suffered a high ankle sprain against the Buccaneers though and soon after landed on IR.
The prognosis for McCaffrey’s recovery was originally 4-6 weeks. In the end, it took exactly six for him to return.
In his absence, the Panthers got occasionally shocking strong performances from backup running back Mike Davis. So far this season, Davis has forced 23 total missed tackles and has been effective both as a rusher and a receiver. It will be interesting to see if offensive coordinator Joe Brady can reintigrate McCaffrey into his scheme while still taking advantage of what Davis offers.
The team also activated rookie defensive end Yetur Gross-Matos, who also suffered a high ankle sprain and has missed the last few games. This is great news for Carolina’s defensive line as Gross-Matos was starting to produce consistently before his injury and had an elite pressure rate going at the time.
Wide receiver Marken Michel and defensive tackle Bruce Hector have also been activated from the practice squad for tomorrow’s game.
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