This should come as no surprise, so hopefully you’re not disappointed, Carolina Panthers fans. But running back Christian McCaffrey will not see any action in tonight’s preseason finale against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Again, this isn’t flying in out of left field. Head coach Matt Rhule was quite clear regarding his superstar rusher’s status, saying he wants to “save those hits for the season” instead of adding any preseason mileage.
Per the team, a handful of other players will not suit up due to injury. That group includes running backs Trenton Cannon, Reggie Bonnafon and Rodney Smith, linebacker Josh Bynes and safety Kenny Robinson. This could be a damaging hit for Robinson, in particular, who was vying for a spot in the secondary before leaving last week’s contest with a knee injury.
Defensive end Marquis Haynes was also spotted out of uniform. He had just ditched the arm sling he sported following a shoulder injury earlier in the week.
The expected starters for tonight, which should look very much like Week 1’s lineup, are as follows:
QB: Sam Darnold
RB: Chuba Hubbard
WR: DJ Moore
WR: Robby Anderson
TE: Dan Arnold
TE: Ian Thomas
LT: Cameron Erving
LG: Pat Elflein
C: Matt Paradis
RG: John Miller
RT: Taylor Moton
DE: Brian Burns
DT: Derrick Browns
DT: Da’Quan Jones
DE: Morgan Fox
SLB: Shaq Thompson
MLB: Jermaine Carter Jr.
WLB: Haason Reddick
CB: Donte Jackson
CB: Jaycee Horn
SS: Jeremy Chinn
FS: Juston Burris
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