Christian McCaffrey’s 2020 season was one to forget, but it seems to have taught the Carolina Panthers running back a valuable lesson.
McCaffrey was limited to just three games in 2020 thanks to ankle, shoulder, and quad injuries. He’s fully healthy now, and after the team’s first day of OTAs on Monday, he vowed to not take playing football for granted.
“It feels really good,” McCaffrey said, via Darin Gantt of the team’s official website. “Just putting the helmet on again and being with my teammates, doing what I love to do, it’s something I’ll never take for granted again. I’m super happy to be back.”
McCaffrey had been the picture of durability in the preceding three seasons, having played in all 16 games each year. The 24-year-old had never dealt with a serious injury issue at the NFL level before, much less three different injuries in one season. At the very least, there’s the chance that he used it to help himself mentally.
When healthy, McCaffrey is one of the most lethal offensive players in the NFL, tallying an NFL-best 2,392 yards from scrimmage and 19 total touchdowns in 2019. New quarterback Sam Darnold will need similar production in 2021, and if he gets it, the Panthers could surprise.
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