Panthers coach Ron Rivera started the week talking about taking a little off rookie running back Christian McCaffrey’s plate, and ended it by hinting at what one of those changes might look like.
Rivera told reporters Friday that seldom-used running back Cameron Artis-Payne could get some offensive snaps at Tampa Bay on Sunday.
And though Artis-Payne led the team in rushing during the preseason, Rivera indicated his work would likely come as a pass-blocker in place of McCaffrey.
Rivera called the 5-10, 215-pound Artis-Payne “a little bit bigger guy,” and compared him to former running back/fullback Mike Tolbert, who signed with Buffalo during the offseason after Carolina cut him.