The Carolina Panthers on Wednesday placed running back Christian McCaffrey on injured reserve, meaning he must miss at least the next three games.
McCaffrey is expected to miss four to six weeks after suffering a high ankle sprain during Sunday's loss at Tampa Bay, but he said Monday that he hoped to return faster than that.
"They say four to six weeks [to recover]," he said Monday. "Well, that's a challenge to me. Hopefully, I'll get back a lot earlier than this."
The Panthers made McCaffrey the NFL's highest-paid running back during the offseason with a four-year, $64 million extension that averages $16 million per year.