Panthers 2021 season opener countdown: 22 days to go

We’re counting down the days until the Panthers kick off the 2021 season.

We’re only 22 days away from the start of the Panthers’ 2021 season, so today’s countdown piece will be dedicated the player on the roster currently wearing No. 22 — running back Christian McCaffrey.

The Panthers drafted McCaffrey (5-11, 205) in the first round (No. 8 overall) of the 2017 NFL Draft, and he’s been a pretty decent addition to the roster since arriving in Charlotte.

He holds the franchise record for most scrimmage yards by any player in their first four years as a Panther (5,817), and he has the most receiving yards (2,672), receptions (320), receiving touchdowns (16) and receiving first downs (143) by a running back in franchise history. He’s one of three players to record 1,000 rushing yards and 1,000 receiving yards in the same season (2019), and he’s also the third player to record 1,000 rushing yards and 100 receptions in a single season (2018, 2019) and he set the NFL single season record for receptions by a running back when he finished with 116 receptions in 2019.

So yeah, he’s pretty good. But you already knew that.

Things didn’t exactly go well for McCaffrey in 2020. He only appeared in three games for the Panthers last season after dealing with multiple injuries, and he finished the year with 225 rushing yards, 149 receiving yards and 6 touchdowns.

But fret not, Panthers fans: McCaffrey looks to be in tip-top shape heading into the 2021 season, and we should see a quick return to the CMC we saw from 2017-2019 (which would be good because the offense is a lot better when McCaffrey is on the field).

What do you think, Panthers fans? Are you looking forward to seeing CMC back in action? Do you think he has a chance to return to his pre-injury form? Why or why not? Share your thoughts with us!