Panthers activate McCaffrey; Rhule coy on RB's role vs. Chiefs

The Carolina Panthers officially activated running back Christian McCaffrey from injured reserve Saturday, making him eligible to play in Sunday's game against the Kansas City Chiefs.

Though Panthers head coach Matt Rhule said he anticipates McCaffrey playing Week 9 and reports indicate he will return to the field, Rhule wouldn't guarantee a heavy workload for his star tailback.

"Activating someone doesn't mean we'll have them in a jersey," he said. "I think there's a lot of things that still have to happen."

He continued: "I want to see Mike Davis continue to play and continue to play at a high level. So there will be a football part to that where we have two guys we know we can win with. But at the same time, there'd have to be a conversation with the medical people."

McCaffrey suffered a high ankle sprain in Week 2 and has missed his team's last six games as a result. Carolina leaned on Davis in his absence, with the 27-year-old veteran recording 594 yards from scrimmage since taking over as the starter.

McCaffrey, 24, has been the focal point of the Panthers' offense since entering the NFL in 2017. He led the league with 2,392 yards from scrimmage last year and was named a first-team All-Pro.

Carolina also activated rookie pass-rusher Yetur Gross-Matos from injured reserve.

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