Christian McCaffrey undergoing MRI for ankle injury

The Carolina Panthers will be holding their breaths for the next 24 hours in regards to their star running back.

The rebuilding Carolina Panthers were expected to take their lumps in their first season under head coach Matt Rhule, and that’s how things have gone so far. They narrowly lost in Week 1 to the Las Vegas Raiders, and were dismantled by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday afternoon. However, that loss stung even more due to stud running back Christian McCaffrey leaving late in the game with an apparent ankle injury.

Panthers fans will be holding their breaths for the next 24 hours, because McCaffrey is undergoing an MRI on Monday to determine the severity of his ankle ailment, per Ian Rapoport of NFL Media. Of course, Carolina is hoping that the injury isn’t too serious.

McCaffrey’s injury comes after scoring a touchdown

The Panthers didn’t have the greatest day offensively, mostly due to the three turnovers on quarterback Teddy Bridgewater (two interceptions, one lost fumble). In the fourth quarter, the Panthers cut their deficit to 21-14 after McCaffrey scored on a seven-yard rush. After the touchdown, McCaffrey limped to the sidelines and got his ankle re-wrapped in an attempt to get back in the game, but the team opted to play it safe and sat him out for the remainder of the game.

In the game, McCaffrey rushed for 59 yards and two touchdowns, while catching four passes for 29 yards against Tampa Bay’s defense.

Ever since being taken by the Panthers in the first-round of the 2017 NFL Draft, McCaffrey has proven to be the lifeline of Carolina’s offense. That’s part of the reason why Carolina rewarded the dual-threat running back with a four-year, $64 million contract extension prior to his fourth season. Make no mistake that the Panthers can’t afford to lose McCaffrey for any amount of time.

Fingers will be crossed and breath will be bated in North Carolina for the next 24 hours, as they await official word regarding McCaffrey’s status for Week 3.