Panthers HC Matt Rhule said Monday that RB Christian McCaffrey is still "a couple of weeks away" from returning from his high-ankle sprain. So RB Mike Davis should at least start the next 2 weeks against the Bears and Saints. Those are difficult draws, but Davis' usage will keep him in the RB1 mix.

The Panthers have placed RB Christian McCaffrey (ankle) on IR. It means he'll miss at least the next 3 games. We'll see if McCaffrey can get back for Week 6. Mike Davis will operate as Carolina's lead back in the meantime.

Updating previous reports, NFL Network's Ian Rapoport says Panthers RB Christian McCaffrey is expected to miss 4-6 weeks with his high-ankle sprain, following his Monday morning MRI. That makes Mike Davis a top waiver target this week. The veteran clearly isn't close to McCaffrey in ability, but he should control the touches in a shallow backfield. A Week 3 matchup with the Chargers looks challenging. The ensuing 5 weeks, though, include both meetings with the Falcons (weeks 5 and 8) and an upside scoring matchup with Arizona (Week 4). Davis figures to crack the top 30 in our Week 3 RB rankings on expected touch volume alone.

Panthers RB Christian McCaffrey is expected to miss "multiple weeks" with the ankle injury he suffered in Sunday's loss to the Bucs, ESPN's Adam Schefter reports. We'll hopefully get more details on the injury and CMC's timeline for return over the next few days. Mike Davis racked up 8 receptions in McCaffrey's absence in Week 2 and figures to lead Carolina's backfield in touches in the meantime. Trenton Cannon is the only other RB on the active roster. Week 3 brings a tough matchup vs. the Chargers, but then come more favorable draws vs. Arizona and Atlanta. Davis is worth scooping up in all fantasy leagues and will be a volume-based fantasy play for however long McCaffrey is out.

Panthers RB Christian McCaffrey will undergo an MRI on his injured ankle on Monday, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. "The initial hope is it’s not too serious. But tomorrow will be telling," Rapoport adds. This doesn't have the look of a serious injury, but CMC owners might not be getting much sleep tonight. We'll pass along an update as soon as we get one.

Panthers RB Christian McCaffrey has left their game at Tampa Bay with an ankle injury. He is questionable to return.

Update: McCaffrey did not return.

ESPN's David Newton believes RB Mike Davis "might have the edge" for the Panthers' #2 RB job. His competition is Reggie Bonnafon and Jordan Scarlett. The battle is irrelevant as long as RB Christian McCaffrey is healthy, of course. We wouldn't bother spending a pick to "handcuff" CMC at this point.

The Panthers and RB Christian McCaffrey have agreed to a 4-year, $64 million extension. That $16 million average annual salary makes CMC the league's highest-paid RB, edging out Ezekiel Elliott by a mill. Analytics folks will tell you Carolina is over-paying here (and they might be right). But at least McCaffrey is the rare RB that's dominant in both the running and passing games. He's now signed with the Panthers through the 2025 season, when he'll be 29 years old.

The Panthers have named Joe Brady their new OC. It's been a rapid rise for the 30-year-old, who spent 2017 and 2018 as an offensive assistant under Sean Payton in New Orleans and this past year as LSU's passing game coordinator. Brady won the 2019 Broyles Award as the top assistant coach in college football and was given a lot of credit for QB Joe Burrow's massive 5,671-yard, 60-TD campaign. It's an exciting -- albeit risky -- hire by the Panthers.

The Panthers are hiring Matt Rhule as their new HC, Yahoo Sports' Pete Thamel reports. Rhule has been a hot name in coaching circles after he led a 1-11 Baylor team in his first season to a combined 18-9 record over the past 2 years. He spent 4 seasons as Temple's HC prior to that and also has 1 year of experience as the Giants' assistant offensive line coach under Tom Coughlin. Rhule's Baylor squads ranked 25th, 19th and 43rd in the nation in passing yards per game.

The Panthers have fired HC Ron Rivera. He's been with Carolina since 2011, compiling a 76-63-1 record with 4 playoff appearances. But the Panthers went 7-9 last year and are currently sitting at 5-7. Secondary coach Perry Fewell will take over as interim head coach, OC Norv Turner will move into an assistant role and QB coach Scott Turner will serve as OC for the final 4 games of the season. We're not expecting any tangible fantasy impacts from the moves.

The Panthers claimed RB Mike Davis off waivers. He's obviously no threat to Christian McCaffrey, but Davis might be the favorite for touches over Reggie Bonnafon if McCaffrey goes down.

Panthers RB Christian McCaffrey (back) isn't listed on the final Week 6 injury report. He didn't practice on Wednesday, but HC Ron Rivera said that giving CMC Wednesdays off will be the norm going forward. He put in full workouts on Thursday and Friday. Expect McCaffrey to play his usual workhorse role in London on Sunday morning.

Panthers HC Ron Rivera said that RB Christian McCaffrey's back is "a little sore" but that he's "doing just fine." CMC sat out Wednesday's practice, but Rivera said that'll be the new normal going forward. It's a smart move by the Panthers considering they've fed McCaffrey 27.2 touches per game. He remains a locked-in RB1 for Sunday's game against the Bucs.