McCaffrey (hamstring) was reinstated from injured reserve Saturday, but he'll be evaluated by the team's staff early Sunday before his status is determined ahead of the Panthers' 1 p.m. ET kickoff against the Patriots, David Newton of ESPN.com reports.
Assuming he experiences no pregame setbacks, McCaffrey should be in line to return from his five-game absence. In the event that McCaffrey does play, however, Newton suggests that the star running back would likely be on some sort of a snap count, with Chuba Hubbard, Royce Freeman and Ameer Abdullah also candidates to mix in. Either way, McCaffrey's availability will be clarified no later than 90 minutes prior to Sunday's kickoff, when Carolina releases its inactive list.