National Football League

Christian McCaffrey's latest injury proves taxing given his price for Carolina Panthers

Updated Nov. 29, 2021 6:54 p.m. ET

The blows just keep coming for the Carolina Panthers.

Sunday's 33-10 loss to the Dolphins put Panthers quarterback Cam Newton under the microscope, but the most worrisome fallout from the game was the status of All-Pro running back Christian McCaffrey moving forward.

After suffering an ankle injury in the loss, McCaffrey was placed on the injured reserve list and will miss the rest of the season.

McCaffrey has just 442 rushing yards and one rushing touchdown on the season, this being the second ankle injury he has suffered in 2021.

In short, it has been tough sledding for the All-Pro running back since he signed a four-year, $64 million extension in April 2020.

He has missed 18 combined games since the start of the 2020 season, scoring just eight total touchdowns in that time and putting together zero 100-yard games — a far cry from the 4,357 yards from scrimmage and 32 total touchdowns he scored in the 2018 and 2019 seasons.

McCaffrey's injury woes continue an alarming trend of elite running backs declining in production and availability after signing big contracts in recent years.

Dallas Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott –– the NFL's second-highest paid running back behind McCaffrey –– was drafted in 2016 and from 2016 to '19, he averaged 101.2 rushing yards per game on 4.6 yards per carry with 19 games of at least 100 yards rushing.

Since signing his six-year, $90 million extension in 2019, though, Elliott has averaged just 72.8 rushing YPG on 4.3 YPC. He has crossed the 100-yard rushing mark only 11 times since and is currently playing through a knee injury.

New Orleans Saints running back Alvin Kamara signed his five-year, $75 million extension in 2020 but has also fallen victim to the injury bug this season, missing the past three games due to an MCL sprain. He's averaging a career-low 3.6 YPC this season.

Minnesota Vikings All-Pro running back Dalvin Cook suffered a torn labrum and dislocated shoulder in Sunday's loss to the San Francisco 49ers. Cook signed a five-year, $63 million extension in 2020 and has already missed two games this season.

Now, he is expected to miss at least three weeks due to his current shoulder injury.

And then there is Tennessee Titans running back Derrick Henry, the reigning NFL rushing champion, who had been a model of consistency and clean health before this season.

In his first five seasons, Henry missed just two games, but he is now looking at missing the remainder of this season after undergoing surgery to repair a foot fracture. He played in just eight games this year.