Christian McCaffrey Trade Rumors: Panthers 'Inclined to Keep' RB with Deshaun Watson

While there have been rumors swirling about Christian McCaffrey's future with the Carolina Panthers, the team's pursuit of a Deshaun Watson trade may bring that to a halt.

Jeremy Fowler of ESPN reported the Panthers are "more inclined" to keep McCaffrey if they were able to strike a deal for Watson.

Carolina is expected to be among the most aggressive teams in pursuing a trade for Watson, who will not face charges amid allegations of sexual assault. He remains in litigation regarding 22 civil cases and is under an NFL investigation for his off-field conduct.

Panthers owner David Tepper has not been shy about his desire to build the Panthers around a franchise quarterback. The team took a big swing and missed last offseason on Sam Darnold, who is set to make $18.9 million in sunk cost this season. It's possible the Panthers unload Darnold as part of a Watson trade, but it would likely require them to add additional draft-pick compensation.

Should Watson land elsewhere, the Panthers could revisit McCaffrey trade talks. The two-time All-Pro has been riddled with injuries since signing a four-year, $64 million contract extension in April 2020. He's played in just 10 games over the last two seasons, compiling 667 rushing yards and 492 receiving yards in that time frame.

While those numbers still put McCaffrey at a pace of over 100 total yards per game, he has not posted a run of longer than 18 yards in that time frame. The Panthers' offensive struggles elsewhere have allowed opposing defenses to key on McCaffrey, but it's clear the contract has not worked out as they hoped.

Carolina could move on from McCaffrey after the 2022 season, saving about $4.9 million in cap space. The team would take on $18.5 million in dead cap trading McCaffrey before June 1, a net loss of $4.2 million versus his $14.3 million cap number.