Few would argue the thought that when healthy, Christian McCaffrey ranks within the top running backs in the NFL. Of course, as the Carolina Panthers and several fantasy owners know, CMC has rarely been full strength for the past two seasons, having played just 10 out of a possible 33 regular-season games.

Meanwhile, in 2019, his last full season, McCaffrey racked up an astonishing 2,392 yards from scrimmage, which was more than any other player. Not only is the yardage marker an incredible achievement, it still ranks as the third-most in NFL history. That’s even with all 32 teams playing an extra game during the 2021-22 season.

Basically, the evidence is there. At his best, McCaffrey is an MVP-caliber talent. Yet, obviously, CMC hurts his teams immensely if he’s sitting on the bench, inactive.

At this point, head coach Matt Rhule has coached more games without his superstar offensive weapon than with him. It wouldn’t surprise anyone if the coach is growing tired of the same old story each season, especially with his job on the line.