Odds for Christian McCaffrey’s Next Team: Would Bills or Broncos Be a Good Fit?

• The Carolina Panthers parted ways with Head Coach Matt Rhule following a 1-and-4 start
• Christian McCaffrey is rumored to potentially be on the move should Carolina embrace a full rebuild
• What teams could be in play for the star running back? We make our pick here in the odds for Christian McCaffrey’s Next Team

The Carolina Panthers have pulled the plug on the Matt Rhule experiment after he led them to a poor 11-and-27 record over parts of three seasons at the helm. He was one of the favorites to get the heave-ho heading into the season, and after dropping four of five, the team moved on.

With the team seemingly headed toward a total tear down and rebuild while they look for the Panthers’ next head coach, star running back Christian McCaffrey has found his name in rumors for his potential next destination.

Odds for Christian McCaffrey’s Next Team

SBD odds. These odds are for entertainment purposes only

The Buffalo Bills are the favorite to land the 2017 eighth overall pick. There’s a natural connection, with Bills GM Brandon Beane with Carolina when they selected McCaffrey in the draft. Buffalo is also currently 14th in yards per game on the ground using a combination of Devin Singletary, Zack Moss and James Cook in the backfield.

The second choice is the Denver Broncos, who have had a sputtering offense that could really use a lift, particularly with RB Javonte Williams out for the season with a knee injury. Having McCaffrey would aid a team that has the second worst points per game, and also he’d be playing for the franchise that his father Ed competed for from 1995-2003.

Bills the Favorite to Land McCaffrey

Last season the LA Rams went all-in for their pursuit of Von Miller (now a Buffalo Bill), and Odell Beckham Jr and it worked to perfection in leading them to Super Bowl LVI. Bringing in McCaffrey could definitely be seen as doing the same for a Buffalo squad that entered the year as Super Bowl favorites, and they remain so.

They’ve received a combined 351 yards from the trio of Singletary-Moss-Cook, while McCaffrey himself has put up 324 ground yards, and 188 receiving yards.

A source has confirmed to me that the Bills have reached out to the Panthers about running back Christian McCaffrey.

— Dan Fetes (@danfetes) October 10, 2022

After this season, McCaffrey still has three years left on his contract at a total of $39 million dollars. The Bills have the sixth smallest cap room at just over $1.7M this season, but for this year, McCaffrey’s base salary is just $1.035 million. That wouldn’t be an issue should they trade for him.

There would be an injury risk in acquiring him, as he’s played in just ten games in the last two seasons and five this year (he didn’t miss a game his first three seasons in the league).

Other Potential McCaffrey Destinations

The 2019 first-team All-Pro hasn’t exactly performed to that same status since that year, and that’s mainly due to the injuries. He’s shown the flashes that made him such an effective dual-threat back, as he’s had four straight games with over 100 rushing and receiving yards. Despite Denver being the second choice, they don’t have their first and second-round picks to use as bait since they parted ways with those in the Russell Wilson deal.

The only undefeated team in football are the 5-and-0 Eagles. They have the ammunition to pull off a deal with two first-round picks in the 2023 draft, and a first and a pair of seconds in the 2024 draft.

Teams will now be calling the Panthers trying to trade for some of their players as they hope Carolina will look to stockpile picks as they rebuild

— Jay Glazer (@JayGlazer) October 10, 2022

They already have the third-ranked offense according to PFF, and could pair McCaffrey with Miles Sanders to have a potent one-two punch at the running back position. Add in QB Jalen Hurts’ ability to scramble and run at will, and it would make a phenomenal offense even more dangerous.

The Pick: Philadelphia Eagles (+1250)