This does not mean interest has not come in. Teams have inquired about wideout D.J. Moore and edge rusher Brian Burns, according to SI.com’s Albert Breer. The Panthers have not shown a willingness to part with either starter, Breer adds, but these two names have generated the most interest thus far.
Additionally, the Bills have not contacted the Panthers regarding McCaffrey’s availability, Howe notes. Run by ex-Carolina staffers Brandon Beane and Sean McDermott, Buffalo has acquired many former Panthers. But a move to land the $16M-per-year back, months after drafting James Cook in the second round, may be a bridge too far for now.
Carolina just extended Moore — on a three-year, $61.88M deal — and have expressed a desire to pay Burns, who will enter his fifth-year option season in 2023. Both players were acquired before Rhule arrived, even though the since-fired HC signed off on Moore’s extension this March. Neither interim HC Steve Wilks nor new Panthers defensive play-caller Al Holcomb were in place when either player was drafted. Ditto GM Scott Fitterer. But it would still surprise to see Carolina deal away two mid-20s cornerstones this season. Doing so would indeed signal David Tepper signing off on a full-scale rebuild.
McCaffrey is currently healthy, marking his longest run of availability during the 2020s. Injuries sidetracked the former top-10 pick’s career following his dominant 2019 season — one that set him up for the still-market-topping extension he signed in April 2020 — but the sixth-year back obviously remains one of the Panthers’ best players. McCaffrey, 26, is not on his 2019 pace (2,392 yards from scrimmage), posting only 512 scrimmage yards in five games. But his health has certainly brought better news compared to his previous two seasons — when the second-generation pro missed 23 games.
The team restructured McCaffrey’s deal, reducing his 2022 base salary to barely $1M, and listened to trade inquiries this offseason. Given McCaffrey’s health history, the team’s willingness to do a deal and the kind of offers that come in will be interesting as the deadline nears. For now, however, the Panthers are sitting tight with CMC. Three more seasons remain on McCaffrey’s contract. His salaries spike to $11.8M (in 2023 and ’24) and $12M (2025).
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