MCCAFFREY AGAIN LOST FOR SEASON
The injury bug has gotten Christian McCaffrey yet again.
The Carolina Panthers often-injured running back will miss the remainder of the season with an ankle injury, the team announced Monday.
McCaffrey had an MRI that revealed the injury was severe enough to put him on injured reserve. Because of his anticipated recovery time and given that it would be his second time on IR, the news means McCaffrey will miss out on Carolina’s final five regularseason games following its bye week.
McCaffrey missed five games earlier this season with a hamstring injury.
He missed 13 games last season with various injuries, including seven with a high ankle sprain.
The 2017 first-round draft pick was injured in the first half of Carolina’s 33-10 loss to the Dolphins and played only sparingly after that.
It’s the second straight year McCaffrey has ended the season on injured reserve. He played in just three games last season.
Since becoming the NFL’s highest-paid running back with a four-year, $64 million contract after an AllPro season in 2019, McCaffrey will have missed 23 of 33 games in the last two seasons due to injuries.
McCaffrey had 421 yards on 68 carries and a touchdown the past four weeks after returning from a hamstring issue.
Chuba Hubbard is expected to start for Carolina.
Cook in doubt for Sunday
Minnesota Vikings running back Dalvin Cook’s availability this week for the game at winless Detroit is in doubt because of an injury to his left shoulder, but coach Mike Zimmer stopped short of confirming a long-term absence.
Cook was hurt on a carry late in the third quarter on Sunday at San Francisco and carted off in obvious pain. Zimmer said Cook did not sustain a torn labrum, an injury he had to the other shoulder two years ago, and did not rule out him playing against the Lions.
“It’s day to day. That’s what they’re telling me,” Zimmer said.
Cook has 773 rushing yards, 202 receiving yards and four TDs in nine games.
Dallas’ McCarthy has COVID
Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy checked into the team hotel the day after the Thanksgiving game as a precaution with COVID-19 infections spreading on his staff.
McCarthy ended up testing positive anyway, and isn’t the only one in his family dealing with the virus.
The second-year Dallas coach is out for Thursday night’s game in New Orleans, and will be among six coaches and staff members not making the trip because of positive tests. Right tackle Terence Steele also is out after testing positive.
Defensive coordinator Dan Quinn, in his first year with the Cowboys after getting fired during his sixth season as coach in Atlanta last year, will handle head coaching responsibilities.
McCarthy, who is vaccinated along with the entire staff, said he had a “scratchy” throat but mostly felt fine. He told players about the positive test during a virtual meeting Monday morning.
Notable
The NFL suspended Cowboys defensive tackle
Trysten Hill for two games for confronting Las Vegas offensive lineman John Simpson and throwing a punch after the Raiders’ 36-33 overtime win on Thanksgiving.
NFL Vice President of Football Operations Jon Runyan said in a letter to the Hill that the third-year player spent nearly a minute at midfield after the game looking for Simpson and walked the opposite direction from the Dallas locker room to confront Vegas’ left guard.
“You both engaged in a verbal chest-to-chest confrontation which you escalated by throwing an open hand punch to his facemask, forcible enough to cause your opponent’s helmet to come off,” Runyan wrote.
The Steelers placed star outside linebacker T.J. Watt on the COVID-19 list. Watt is the third high-profile member of the Steelers to go on the COVID-19 list in recent weeks. Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger and safety
Minkah Fitzpatrick went into the COVID-19 protocol earlier this month.
Detroit coach Dan Campbell said that running back D’Andre Swift’s injured shoulder is still sore, adding it’s hard to envision him playing on Sunday.
Browns right tackle
Jack Conklin will undergo surgery after suffering a season-ending right knee injury on Sunday at Baltimore, a crushing blow to a Cleveland offense struggling to score.