EXCLUSIVE: "Christian McCaffrey is not an injury prone guy" - Panthers star rubbishes popular opinion that RB cannot stay healthy 

Carolina Panthers backfield star Christian McCaffrey is one of the most effective offensive weapons in the entire league. Whether it's pounding the rock or as a receiving threat, Christian McCaffrey is almost unplayable.

That is why in 2020, the Panthers gave him a four year, $64 million contract and a $21,500,000 signing bonus. The deal included more than $38 million guaranteed, making him the highest paid running back in the league.

Before signing that contract, Christian McCaffrey had never missed a game. But since then he has only suited up in ten out of a potential thirty-three. He has also acquired the unwanted 'injury prone' tag.

Panthers teammate Colin Thompson thinks the tag is unjustified, and spoke exclusively to Sportskeeda's Inside The Huddle podcast about McCaffrey:

"Christian's an absolute beast. First off, as a human, he's an unbelievable guy. I've been able to play [with] him now two years. He's fantastic. There's no one more driven, dedicated his body."

He continued:

"To me, injury prone players are guys that do not take care of their body. Chris McCaffery is someone who take the best care of their body possible you could take of your body. Christian McCaffrey is not an injury prone guy."

Thompson continued:

"But at the end of the day, like, that guy is driven and he's going to be just have a great year. He's so team oriented, he's such a leader. He wants to win so bad. I mean, this is the guy that' has like eyes on like championships, Hall of Fame."

Before adding:

"He played four straight years and he had 100 plus touches every one of those years in the NFL. Then he got a couple of nicks in action. Everyone says injury prone. He's not injury prone. He's ready to go."

Is Christian McCaffrey the NFL's No.1 running back?

Washington Football Team v Carolina Panthers

As the old adage goes, the best ability is availability, and for the past two seasons, Christian McCaffrey has not been available very often. However, this is the same player who didn't miss a single game during his first three campaigns.

So could it be that the Carolina Panthers star has just been unlucky. Assuming he returns to full fitness this season, is he still the number one running back in the league?

In 2018 and 2019, McCaffrey was considered by many NFL experts to be just that after he put up some phenomenal stats. He seemed to carry the entire Panthers offense. In those two seasons combined, he recorded 2,485 rushing yards at an average of 4.9 yards per carry and scored 22 rushing touchdowns.

He supplemented that with 1,872 receiving yards and a further 10 touchdowns as he established himself as an elite running back. For many, he was the undisputed top running back in the NFL.

With a little luck, he can steer clear of injury this year and return to his incredible best. It will be great to see him back on the field in under two months time.

If you use any of the above quotes, please credit Sportskeeda. You can watch more episodes of Inside The Huddle here.