CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- A lot has happened in Carolina Panthers running back Christian McCaffrey’s life since September.

He and his girlfriend, Olivia Culpo, purchased an 11,000-square-foot house for $7.5 million, reportedly a record in the Charlotte market. He launched his foundation, which will address the needs of veterans and military families.

He spent countless hours rehabbing a high ankle sprain that forced him to miss six games followed by a shoulder injury that cost him three more. Now he has a quad injury that could affect his status on Sunday.

And the Panthers (4-8) won four games without him, meaning he’s 0-3 this season and has lost 11 straight when healthy, going back to a Nov. 3, 2019, victory over Tennessee.

“Yeah, it sucks," McCaffrey said on Monday as he plans to return for the final four games, beginning Sunday against Denver. “That’s basically it. It makes you hungry for a win.

“But, uh, appreciate you reminding me."

There are two things McCaffrey, 24, hates when it comes to football:

• Not playing: The only games he had missed during his entire career before this season were in college at Stanford.

• Losing: He had won big at every level before arriving in the NFL, where, since going 11-5 as a rookie in 2017, he has endured records of 7-9, 5-11 and now 4-8.

That’s why, after missing nine of the past 10 games, he never considered sitting out the final four games to begin focusing on 2021.

If he's cleared, the Colorado native gets to return just in time for his first career game against the Denver Broncos, an organization that his father -- former NFL wide receiver Ed McCaffrey -- won two Super Bowls with. That makes him even more excited about playing again.

The Broncos, although they're 4-8 this season, in part helped instill McCaffrey’s drive for excellence.

“That was kind of when I started to see what football meant to me, just watching him and being able to run around on the field after the game and seeing them win two Super Bowls, even when I was 2 or 3 years old," McCaffrey said.

“I know my dad loved football, and watching highlights of him is very special to me and the rest of our family, just seeing how he played."

Life lessons

While McCaffrey learned what it takes to excel in football by watching his dad, he learned a lot about himself after having to spend most of the past three months rehabbing.

“The days are actually longer when you're not playing than when you're playing," McCaffrey said. "From the time you get up until the time you go to bed, I'm doing something to try to get my ankle back, my shoulder back, and to try to stay fast, stay in shape, and stay strong.

“It's a challenging process that can be taxing. I've learned to fall in love with that, and to love it, and enjoy just the concept of getting better.’’

McCaffrey’s work ethic is one reason first-year Carolina coach Matt Rhule had no reservations about his star getting a four-year, $64 million contract extension that made him the highest-paid back in league history.

With the playoffs out of reach, McCaffrey’s desire to get back on the field instead of taking the final four games off also fits the culture Rhule wants to build.

“I just wouldn’t be able to look the fans in the eye if I said, ‘Hey, we’re not going to try to win these games,’" Rhule said. “I’m here to try to win. I think the players are here to try to win. I want to make this a serious football place."

Few, if any, in the NFL are more serious about football than McCaffrey. Former Broncos coach Mike Shanahan saw glimpses of that in the young McCaffrey, who became an instant star in the Denver area, leading Valor Christian High to four straight state titles.

But it wasn’t just McCaffrey’s amazing athleticism that stood out for Shanahan. It was his work ethic.

“You’ve got to have people like Christian McCaffrey with that kind of character," Shanahan said. “Then good things will happen. You need people like Christian that give you a chance to separate yourself from the pack."

Love of the game

There’s a picture of McCaffrey wearing a miniature version of his dad’s No. 87 jersey and sitting on the bench beside his dad on the Denver sideline. His dad has a walking boot on his left leg after suffering a fracture against the New York Giants in the 2001 opener on Monday Night Football.

Ed bounced back in 2002 to catch 69 passes for 903 yards. He retired in February 2004 during an injury-plagued 2003 season.

So McCaffrey learned at an early age what it’s like to have football taken away by injuries.

Still, going through it himself was tough, particularly coming off a 2019 season when he became the third player in NFL history to have 1,000 yards rushing and receiving in the same season.

“I've always loved it. It's what makes me happy," McCaffrey said of football. "But they always say you don't know what you have until it's gone. And when something is taken from you that you love to do so much, it can be challenging and frustrating mentally, emotionally and physically.

"So for me, to go through that, in a way just continues to spark a fire in you and understand how much I do love this game."

McCaffrey’s family lives in the Denver area, where he spent the offseason with his father and brothers, preparing for a season unlike any other because of the coronavirus.

As happy as he is to be facing his dad’s former team Sunday, McCaffrey will be happier to one day play in Denver as a professional. By then, he hopes his dad’s name has been added to the Broncos’ Ring of Honor.

He imagines that will be as surreal as it is this week preparing to face the Broncos.

“It's just cool to see different generations go through the NFL," McCaffrey said. "To be playing against my dad's former team kind of make things go full circle."