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Christian McCaffrey is officially out for the remainder of the 2021 NFL season. He suffered an ankle injury during the Carolina Panthers game against the Miami Dolphins in Week 12. Following the game, he was placed on injured reserve for the second time this season. Per NFL rules, a second trip to the injured reserve list comes with the requirement to remain there for the rest of the year.
This is obviously a huge loss for the Carolina Panthers. They are currently in the playoff race competing for a Wild Card spot. Christian McCaffrey is their best player and one of the top weapons in the entire NFL. He missed five games earlier this season with a hamstring injury and returned just three weeks ago. The Panthers went 1-4 in those five games without him.
Christian McCaffrey's injury misfortunes
Christian McCaffrey has been unable to stay healthy for the last two years. During the 2020 NFL season, he only appeared in three games while missing 13 of them due to various injuries to his ankle, thigh and shoulder. The Panthers were hoping it was just a fluke season, especially considering he played all 48 games combined across his first three seasons in the NFL.
Unfortunately, now in his fifth season with the Panthers, the injuries have continued to pile up for the second straight season. He has already missed five games in the 2021 NFL season with a hamstring injury and will miss the final five games with his current ankle injury. After playing in all of his first 48 games, Christian McCaffrey will miss 23 of his next 33 games in total.
One of the most alarming factors in Christian McCaffrey's recent injury history is how many different issues there have been. Generally when a player misses this many games over a short period of time, it's one specific area that continues to give them trouble. That has not been the case for Christian McCaffrey. It has been ankle, hamstring, shoulder and thigh injuries.
The life span of running backs in the NFL is short, but hopefully that isn't the case here. It would be extreme if Christian McCaffrey's body had already broken down after just three full seasons of NFL service. After all, he is still just 25 years old, which adds to the mystery even further. Christian McCaffrey will try to bounce back in the 2022 NFL season if he can avoid further injuries.
