Panthers Now Listening To Trade Offers For Christian McCaffrey

Adam Schefter reports that the Carolina Panthers are now listening to trade offers from other teams about a potential trade for RB Christian McCaffrey. However, Schefter says that a trade may not be easy to complete.

According to Schefter, the Panthers have rebuffed at least two teams’ inquiries about a potential deal for McCaffrey last week and they plan to do the same for offers they believe are not “significant.”

Schefter specifically mentions “a high draft pick or multiple picks” as what the Panthers will likely want in return for McCaffrey. Otherwise, they’re comfortable holding on to McCaffrey past the November 1 trade deadline.

McCaffrey lowered his base salary for the 2022 season earlier this offseason, which makes him even more attractive to other teams. The issue will be next year when his salary increases to $11.8 million.

Rumors surfaced about the Bills being a potential landing spot for McCaffrey. Although, multiple reporters later refuted that Buffalo had reached out to the Panthers.

Carolina has only four draft picks in 2023 currently and Over The Cap has them in the red in projected 2023 cap space. They could try to accumulate more picks by trading players who don’t fit into their future plans, which likely include a rebuild. 

McCaffrey is the headliner for a potential trade, and we looked at all of the factors that would go into a potential McCaffrey trade in this past week’s edition of NFLTR Review.

McCaffrey, 26, is a former first-round pick of the Panthers back in 2017. He was entering the final year of his four-year, $17.224 million contract when the Panthers signed him to a new four-year, $64 million contract extension that also included his expected fifth-year option.

Carolina opted to restructure McCaffrey’s deal this past March. He’s set to make salaries of $11.8 million and $11.8 million over the next two seasons. 

In 2022, McCaffrey has appeared in five games for the Panthers and rushed for 324 yards on 72 carries (4.5 YPC) to go along with 26 receptions for 188 yards receiving and three total touchdowns.

We’ll have more on the Panthers and McCaffrey as the news is available.