McCaffrey (hamstring) took part in pregame stretching prior to Sunday's loss to the Cowboys, but he appears unlikely to play Week 5 against the Eagles and is more realistically targeting a return to the lineup Week 6 versus the Vikings, David Newton of ESPN.com reports.
Beyond ruling out McCaffrey ahead of the Week 4 contest and stating that the running back wasn't going to go on injured reserve, coach Matt Rhule hasn't commented on McCaffrey's availability moving forward. However, when McCaffrey initially strained his hamstring in the Sept. 23 win over the Texans, Rhule suggested the star back would be out for "a few weeks," so the prevailing thought is that he'll be sidelined for a second straight contest this weekend. The Panthers could formally rule McCaffrey out for Week 5 when they reconvene for practice Wednesday.