San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Deebo Samuel is also expected to miss one to two weeks with a groin injury, while Las Vegas Raiders tight end Darren Waller is considered week-to-week with a knee issue.
Tuesday 30 November 2021 07:18, UK
Carolina Panthers running back Christian McCaffrey will miss the rest of the season with an ankle injury, the team announced on Monday.
McCaffrey has been placed on injured reserve following an MRI on the injury that saw him exit Sunday's 33-10 loss to the Miami Dolphins.
The 2017 first-round draft pick missed five games earlier on this season due to a hamstring injury, with a player, by rule, unable to return from injured reserve twice in a season.
McCaffrey also sat out 13 games in 2020 through injury, meaning he will have missed 23 of 33 games in the last two seasons since being made the NFL's highest-paid running back with a four-year, $64m contract.
He finishes the season with 442 rushing yards and a touchdown in addition to 37 catches for 343 yards and a score in seven outings.
The 25-year-old earned first-team All-Pro honours in 2019 after posting 2,393 scrimmage yards and 19 total touchdowns 403 touches.
Rookie Chuba Hubbard now looks set to start in the backfield for Carolina for the remainder of the season.
San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Deebo Samuel is meanwhile expected to miss one to two weeks with the groin strain he picked up in his side's Week 12 win over the Minnesota Vikings.
Samuel finished the game with 66 rushing yards for two touchdowns and one catch for 12 yards, surpassing 1,000 yards receiving on the season while becoming the first wide receiver to rush for touchdowns in three straight games since Cordarrelle Patterson between Weeks 16 and 17 of 2013 and Week One of 2014.
He is also the first wide receiver in NFL history with 1,000 receiving yards, five receiving touchdowns and five rushing touchdowns in a season, according to ESPN Stats & Info.
Head coach Kyle Shanahan also confirmed Fred Warner will miss Sunday's clash with the Seattle Seahawks due to the hamstring injury he suffered against Minnesota. He has 92 tackles and two fumble recoveries in 11 starts this year.
Las Vegas Raiders tight end Darren Waller is reportedly week-to-week after leaving Thursday's Thanksgiving win over the Dallas Cowboys with a knee injury.
Waller underwent an MRI on Friday that confirmed he had avoided serious injury, Raiders interim head coach Rich Bisaccia noting on Monday that he will be evaluated ahead of their upcoming meeting with Washington.
The injury stemmed while making an extra effort through tackles for a 21-yard reception, Waller heading off to be examined before officially being ruled out early in the third quarter.
He has 53 catches for 643 yards and two touchdowns in 10 games this season.
