Carolina Panthers running back Christian McCaffrey. Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports

Panthers RB Christian McCaffrey '50-50' to play vs. Vikings

By Zac Wassink | Last updated Oct 13, 2021 6:00 PM ET

Carolina Panthers head coach Matt Rhule said earlier this week he was "hopeful" that star running back Christian McCaffrey could return from the hamstring injury he first suffered on Sept. 23 for this Sunday's game against the 2-3 Minnesota Vikings.

Per Josh Alper of Pro Football Talk, Rhule didn't sound as confident about the matter on Wednesday as he told reporters that McCaffrey was limited in practice:

Panthers head coach Matt Rhule said any decision on Christian McCaffrey would come down to Sunday. Says it could go either way. “Probably 50-50 on Christian."
— Darin Gantt (@daringantt) October 13, 2021

McCaffrey being a game-time decision could frustrate both Carolina fans and fantasy football players considering what occurred last week. The 25-year-old, who has 201 rushing yards, 163 receiving yards and one touchdown on the season, spoke publicly like somebody who would be cleared to face the Philadelphia Eagles, but that wasn't the case. McCaffrey was a spectator for the loss that dropped Carolina to 3-2 on the campaign, while rookie Chuba Hubbard tallied 101 rushing yards and five catches for 33 yards in the defeat.

The fact that McCaffrey played only three games last season because of multiple injury setbacks adds to the concern as this latest injury lingers.

Zac Wassink

Zac Wassink is a longtime sports news writer and PFWA member who began his career in 2006 and has had his work featured on Yardbarker, MSN, Yahoo Sports and Bleacher Report. He is also a football and futbol aficionado who is probably yelling about Tottenham Hotspur at the moment and who chanted for Matt Harvey to start the ninth inning of Game 5 of the 2015 World Series at Citi Field. You can find him on X at @ZacWassink

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