CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The Carolina Panthers have “no intention at all” of trading star player Christian McCaffrey, but left the door open for the Pro Bowl running back to be used more as a slot receiver moving forward.
“There was a report back in November that we were actively trying to trade him, and I told him that was not true,” general manager Scott Fitterer said Monday of his exit interview with McCaffrey following the Panthers’ 5-12 season. “What I did tell him was, ‘Hey, listen, I’ll take any call. Call and make any offer you want.’
“‘That doesn’t mean we’ll do it. That doesn’t mean we’re shopping you.’ I look at Christian as a foundation piece on this team. We’re a better team when he’s on the field. He’s one of the elite players in the NFL.”
Injuries, however, have plagued McCaffrey’s career since coach Matt Rhule was hired in 2020. He’s played in only 10 of a possible 33 games. He missed 10 of 17 games this past season with a strained hamstring suffered in Week 3 and a left ankle sprain he suffered in Week 12.
Rhule said he and former offensive coordinator Joe Brady, fired in early December, talked a little before the season about using McCaffrey more as a slot receiver, but it never materialized because the eighth pick of the 2017 draft was injured early.
“We started down that path, but unfortunately he was out in Game 3,” Rhule said. “To me, when you have a weapon like Christian McCaffrey, I’m looking for an offensive system that utilizes him, and doesn’t just pigeonhole him. To me, that’s what makes him one of the best players in football.”
Rhule said his new offensive coordinator will have a say in how McCaffrey is used. The Panthers, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, are interested in Alabama offensive coordinator and former Houston Texans head coach Bill O’Brien, with former Washington head coach Jay Gruden and Los Angeles Rams offensive coordinator Kevin O’Connell among the candidates.
“Christian brings that versatility, so that’s one of…
Source : espn
