Getty Christian McCaffrey runs the ball in a game against the Buffalo Bills.
The Buffalo Bills could be in the mix for one of the biggest prizes of this year’s trade deadline — or could not, depending on the report.
After the Carolina Panthers moved to fire head coach Matt Rhule on Monday, conflicting reports emerged over whether the Bills had reached out to the franchise to express interest in trading for All-Pro running back Christian McCaffrey. Many insiders believe the 1-4 Panthers could be sellers at the trade deadline, with McCaffrey would likely be one of their most valuable trade assets.
While the Bills could look to McCaffrey to jump-start a struggling ground game, it’s not clear yet whether they have made any moves toward a deal.
Bills Could Target McCaffrey
Not long after reports emerged that Rhule had been fired, reporter Michael Balko tweeted that the Bills had been in contact with the Panthers to inquire about McCaffrey’s availability.
That report was later confirmed by Dan Fetes of WHAM-13, but Fetes later walked back the report and noted that the Bills denied having started trade talks regarding McCaffrey.
“The Bills responded to our report and say they have NOT reached out to the Panthers about Christian McCaffrey,” Fetes tweeted.
The NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero also reported that the Bills had not formally inquired about McCaffrey, but added that the running back will very likely be a target at the trade deadline.
“The #Panthers haven’t had trade talks about Christian McCaffrey with the #Bills or any other team this season, per sources,” Pelissero tweeted. “Carolina already paid most of his $8.6M salary in a bonus. Every team will be working the phones the next few weeks, but nothing in the works with CMC.”
McCaffrey Could Be Logical Target for Bills
While the Bills may not have engaged in any formal talks for McCaffrey, the Panthers running back would seem a logical target for the team. Despite jumping out to a 4-1 start with one of the league’s most dangerous offenses, the Bills have struggled to establish a running game and so far this season have just one rushing touchdown from a running back — which came from rookie James Cook in garbage time of Sunday’s 38-3 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers.
The Bills have made it clear that they wanted to add players who could bring a versatile skill set out of the backfield, and had a deal to sign J.D. McKissick in the offseason before he changed his mind and re-joined the Washington Commanders. The Bills went on to draft Cook in the second round, but through five games he has a total of just 137 yards from scrimmage.
Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio wrote that McCaffrey would seem a logical target for a Bills team focused on winning a Super Bowl this season.
“There’s reason to keep an eye on a potential deal that would send McCaffrey to Buffalo,” Florio wrote. “G.M. Brandon Beane was with the Panthers when McCaffrey became the eighth overall pick, getting the Buffalo job after the 2017 draft. And the Bills would benefit tremendously from McCaffrey’s presence, as they try to get to the Super Bowl for the first time in 29 years and win it for the first time ever.”