When the Carolina Panthers selected running back Christian McCaffrey with the eighth pick in the 2017 NFL Draft, Jonathan Stewart didn’t panic. In fact, the 30-year-old had the opposite view. “You always want fresh legs. Fresh legs mean a lot, especially in the fourth quarter. Having somebody potentially come in here, definitely open arms to get somebody in here that wants to win and understands that.” Stewart said before the draft. “We’re better as a fist than we are as an open hand.”
He understand the needs for fresh legs, because in 2008, he was the fresh legs.
In 2008, the Panthers selected Jonathan Stewart with the 13th pick in the NFL draft when it was thought that the team already had their workhorse running back in Deangelo Williams after Williams had performed well as an understudy to entrenched starter Deshaun Foster; when General Manager Marty Hurney selected Stewart, it was clear that the team valued the one-two punch at running back. The fist was ready to punch, to the tune of career highs and franchise records in yardage and touchdowns for Williams, with the rookie Stewart adding ten scores of his own.
Linebacker Thomas Davis, who has been with the team since Stewart came into the league and has seen the transition from Williams and Stewart to Stewart and Newton to now Stewart and McCaffrey. “When Stew came in and Deangelo was in there, those guys were tremendous for us. They both rushed for over 1,100 yards and the offense was clicking on all cylinders and you see, definitely, that same potential,” Davis said after practice today. “Those guys [McCaffrey and Stewart] can go up there and have a real ‘Thunder & Lightning’ approach to the game plan and that’s really what we’re looking forward to seeing.”
Stewart is ready for McCaffrey to provide that change-of-pace that has been missing from the team for the past few years. While Stewart has led the team in yardage every season since Williams was released, the second highest total has belonged to quarterback Cam Newton in each of those campaigns; much has been made this offseason about Newton and how many times the quarterback will carry the ball in 2017. A second running back will help to take the focus off of Newton and his legs on Sundays and place it squarely on the shoulders of Stewart and McCaffrey.
“With both of their abilities to run the football, I think that’s huge. You can get an inside, outside type type of running games depending on who’s in there.”
-Head Coach Ron Rivera
If you want evidence of how the two running back system will work, look no further than the only drive Cam Newton has led in the 2017 preseason. Ten plays: four handoffs to Stewart (including a 31-yard scamper), four runs from McCaffrey for 22 yards, and only two passes, both easy throws to wide-open receivers, one of which was McCaffrey himself. “That’s Carolina football,” said Newton. “Outside of the little cuteness we can give, a lot of fluff every now and then. Seeing 28 [Stewart], 22 [McCaffrey], 43 [Whittaker], 34 [Artis-Payne] running downhill at you, having linemen on the second level; seeing those guys attack the defense, that’s where we can set the tone and we’re going to need that going into the year.”
“They’ve both got good attitudes and that’ll make it happen. There won’t be any hang-ups or any of that other stuff. The outside noise might see it as a problem, but there isn’t going to be a problem. With DeAngelo and Stew it was the same type of the thing. They balled. It’s like Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant together with the Warriors. Just play ball. The more good football players we’ve got the better we’re going to be.”
-Running Backs Coach Jim Skipper
In Stewart’s rookie season, he averaged 4.5 yards per carry on 184 carries, while Williams provided the eye-popping statistics: 273 rushes, 1515 yards, and 18 touchdowns en route to a 12-4 campaign for the Panthers. While Rivera has not revealed what the split would be, a ratio like this would make the most sense; whatever the team can do to keep both running backs healthy for 16 games will ultimately be the most successful plan. Stewart has reiterated multiple times that the statistics don’t matter as long as the team is winning.
One thing is for sure. They’re going to need a signature celebration.
