How long is Christian McCaffrey out for? Panthers RB's injury update and return timeline

The 2022 NFL season has entered its fourth week, and the Carolina Panthers are up against the Cardinals this weekend. Panthers RB Christian McCaffrey's status, however, remains questionable after he suffered a quad injury and was limited in practice sessions on Wednesday and Thursday.

Fantasy managers who drafted Christian McCaffrey will, no doubt, keep a close eye on any updates regarding his playing status this weekend.

Injuries are part of this league and can be game-changing for NFL teams and fantasy football managers. The Panthers are currently 1-2 in the league, and McCaffrey will likely have to play a crucial role against the Cardinals if the Panthers are to mark their second win this season.

Here's a look at Christian McCaffrey's injury status for week 4.

Christian McCaffrey's recovery from injury

New Orleans Saints v Carolina Panthers

McCaffrey has played in all three games this season, and his quad injury occurred during the Week 3 gam against the New Orleans Saints.

McCaffrey missed the subsequent practice sessions and was a limited participant on Friday. His status remains questionable heading into this weekend's game.

Over the last few years, veteran NFL players have usually taken a day off on Wednesdays after picking up knocks. Wednesday's injury report, therefore, is not the strongest indicator of McCaffrey' status for this weekend.

It's unclear how the Panther running back picked up the injury, but he was listed as injured after the Week 3 game against the Saints.

Since the 2020 season, McCaffrey has played only 13 games owing to injuries, which has made him a less popular choice in fantasy football.

In those 13 games, he has 208 rushing attempts for 910 yards and a total of nine touchdowns (seven rushing and two receiving touchdowns).

Is this season going to be a repeat of the last two seasons for McCaffrey?

When is Christian McCaffrey returning?

McCaffrey returned to the fold on Friday but for a limited time. Quad injuries usually take two to six weeks of recovery, so even if McCaffrey misses the game against the Cardinals, he will likely be available for Week 5.

Fantasy players should ideally have a backup RB in mind this week as there is a high chance McCaffrey will miss Sunday's game against the Arizona Cardinals.