Is Christian McCaffrey playing tonight against the Vikings?

Running back Christian McCaffrey has been ruled out for the Panthers' game tonight against the Minnesota Vikings at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, N.C., due to a hamstring injury he has been battling since Week 3.

McCaffrey will miss at least three more weeks since the Carolina Panthers placed him on the injured reserves list last Saturday afternoon.

Panthers place Christian McCaffrey on IR

The Panthers made that decision after the team's medical staff met on Saturday to discuss the best course of action to get McCaffrey fully healthy.

While placing McCaffrey on IR means a minimum three-week absence, making the move Saturday means this week counts toward that total. He'll be eligible to return as soon as Week 9 against the New England Patriots.

McCaffrey injury

McCaffrey suffered the initial injury on September 23rd in the Panthers' 24-9 win against the Houston Texans at NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas.

McCaffrey was limited in practice until last Wednesday. The team then held him out on Thursday and Friday. After missing multiple practices, the Panthers ruled McCaffrey out of Sunday's clash against the Vikings. After that, the team put him on the IR list.

McCaffrey 2020 injury

McCaffrey missed 13 games in 2020 because of multiple injuries—high ankle sprain, shoulder, and quadriceps.

McCaffrey and the Panthers are at a crossroads right now. Clearly, the injuries he sustained last season are still affecting the star running back, so giving him more time to recover is the best option in the long term. However, the Panthers did not win any games since he got hurt, making the team worry about the present.

Indeed, McCaffrey and the Panthers will have to reach a good compromise, both in the short and long term.

Panthers options during McCaffrey's absence

For the Panthers to win this week against the Minnesota Vikings, it will take a creative offensive gameplan from Panthers head coach Matt Rhule.

Without McCaffrey, the Panthers will rely on wide receivers D.J. Moore, Robby Anderson and quarterback Sam Darnold. Rookie running back Chuba Hubbard should also be more involved on offense. With these four players, the Panthers could look to put points on the board and keep the ship afloat until McCaffrey's return.