As the case has always been, the Carolina Panthers have not put running back Christian McCaffrey’s name out in the open. But, if another team brings up said name, that doesn’t mean they wouldn’t listen.
And according to CBS Sports senior NFL reporter Jonathan Jones, that’s precisely what’s happening. The latest edition of his insider notebook reveals that the Panthers have indeed received a few inquiries into McCaffrey this offseason.
“Carolina Panthers running back Christian McCaffrey isn’t on the trading block, but the team has fielded more than one call for the former All-Pro back who’s dealt with several injuries since signing his record-breaking extension in 2020, multiple league sources told me during and after the NFL scouting combine,” Jones writes.
Had McCaffrey remained healthy of late, general manager Scott Fitterer would likely be hanging any of those calls up immediately. That, however, obviously hasn’t been the case—with the 25-year-old having missed 23 of the team’s past 33 games between 2020 and 2021.
Regardless, Carolina wouldn’t let their star rusher go without a nice little premium.
“If a team wishes to add McCaffrey, I’m told the Panthers would be looking for a first-round pick plus another piece of compensation in order to ship one of the most versatile offensive weapons in the NFL today,” Jones added.
That, undoubtedly, would be quite a return for the franchise, especially considering they’re pretty low on draft capital this spring. Though the question remains—who’s willing to pay that price (and the price of his weighty contract) for a running back who has barely seen the field?
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