Panthers RB Christian McCaffrey Blames Thursday Night Game For Injury

Carolina Panthers running back Christian McCaffrey did not play on Sunday in their 18-21 loss against the Philadelphia Eagles due to a hamstring injury he suffered on September 23 against the Texans. The team erred on the side of caution before allowing their former Pro Bowler to return to the field.bMcCaffrey has dealt with his fair share of setbacks, missing a total of 13 games last season due to injuries.

He blames the short recovery time associated with playing on a Thursday as a factor that directly accounted for the injury.

“I don’t prefer Thursday night games,” McCaffrey said. “You go through a lot in a football game and then you really get two days to recover – and one of those days is a travel day. So you get two days to recover, you hop on a plane, you’re in a hotel and then go out and play in a football game. It’s tough.”

“I think I’m not alone in this, but I would argue against them. I understand though it is part of the game,” he added. “I can sit up here and complain, and I’m not complaining that’s for sure. But it is frustrating when you feel like it’s something that could have been avoided with a little more rest.”