CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Any doubt there might have been that Christian McCaffrey can be an every-down back in the NFL was erased on Monday when the Carolina Panthers waived running back C.J. Anderson.
The Panthers signed Anderson to a one-year, $1.75 million deal during the offseason as insurance for McCaffrey, the eighth pick of the 2017 draft.
But as McCaffrey emerged into the scheme of new offensive coordinator Norv Turner, Anderson has been almost obsolete in the game plan. He had only eight carries for 20 yards over the past five games.
The 2014 Pro Bowl selection at Denver had only 24 rushes for 104 yards and no touchdown to go with one catch for 24 yards and a touchdown during a 6-3 start.
“When we signed C.J. in the spring he saw a bigger role than he has had, and honestly, at the time so did we,” general manager Marty Hurney said in a team statement. “But Christian McCaffrey has taken so much of the offense and so much of the plays, we just made the decision that this was the best thing for all parties involved.”
No love lost. Thank you Carolina. Grind time.
— Cj Anderson (@cjandersonb22) November 12, 2018
Anderson did not ask for his release, a league source told ESPN.
Anderson spent his first five NFL seasons with the Broncos, rushing for a career-high 1007 yards and three touchdowns last season. He was on the 2015 Denver team that beat Carolina 24-10 in Super Bowl 50.
Anderson signed with Carolina after his release from Denver because of the team’s commitment to a power running game.
“The style that Carolina likes to play definitely fits my style and my game,” Anderson said. “As far as ground and pound, the ‘Keep Pounding’ slogan Carolina uses fits well. My game is breaking tackles and finding ways to use that and make long plays.”
But with McCaffrey getting 96.35 percent of the snaps to 9.39 percent for Anderson, and Turner going with a running game that depends on McCaffrey, quarterback Cam Newton as well as wide receivers DJ Moore and Curtis Samuel, the Panthers decided to move on.
McCaffrey leads the team with 579 yards rushing and four touchdowns on 123 carries, and in receiving with 54 catches for 439 yards and four touchdowns.
He is showing the ability to be an every-down back as he did at Stanford, where in 2015 he broke Barry Sanders’ NCAA record with 3,250 all-purpose yards.
“Everybody has seen it,” Hurney said in a statement. “Christian is an all-around back who fits our offense perfectly. He’s a three-down player. He’s on the field all the time, and we feel really good about him.”
The waiving of Anderson means Cameron Artis-Payne, a fifth-round pick in 2015, likely will move to the active roster on game days. Payne has been active only twice this season and has no carries.