Early Injuries Could Spell Disaster for Panthers

The Carolina Panthers have yet to play a preseason game, but they've already been bitten by the injury bug.

It’s not just a nibble, either. It’s a sizable chomp into the aspirations of a team looking to rebound from one of the worst seasons in team history.

Carolina’s latest injury report boasts injuries at a number of positions, at a time where training camp is finally ramping up. As the league inches closer to the regular season (the Panthers open the season at the New Orleans Saints on September 8), each rep becomes all the more important. Position battles are being decided. Chemistry between teammates is being formed. Depth of the roster becomes one of the biggest keys to a successful season, and a lack thereof means trouble.

Nearly every position group has been affected. Here’s a position-by-position breakdown of each injured Panther, and who’s currently backing them up:

QB

Injured - Andy Dalton

Backup - Jack Plummer

The backup QB position is more important than ever. It can mean the difference between a team still making the playoffs and their season derailing. In 2023, backup QB Joe Flacco kept the Cleveland Browns contending, even helping them make the playoffs. On the other hand, the New York Jets, Indianapolis Colts, and Cincinnati Bengals all saw their early playoff hopes dashed after season-ending injuries to their starting QBs.

Andy Dalton only started one game for Carolina last season, but put up more passing yards in their Week 3 matchup against the Seattle Seahawks (361) than Bryce Young did in any of his 16 starts.

Dalton suffered a quad injury, head coach Dave Canales announced on Friday, that will sideline him for “multiple weeks.” Canales confirmed that the team is looking to bring in another vet QB to back up Young. The only other QB on the roster is Jack Plummer, an undrafted free agent who has been struggling against third-string players in training camp. Expect Carolina to sign a vet QB very soon.

RB

Injured - Jonathon Brooks

Backup - Raheem Blackshear(?)

The Panthers traded up in round two of the NFL Draft to snag Texas RB Jonathon Brooks, a dynamic runner who saw his 2023 season come to an end after an ACL tear in November.

The team initially thought he may be ready for the regular season, as reports in March stated he was already running only 12 weeks after the injury. Canales has now told reporters that the team now expects him to sit until “Week 3 or 4,” with no desire to rush him back.

This is the sound decision, as the rest of Carolina’s RB room has remained injury-free so far. Chuba Hubbard projects to be the starter, after taking the RB1 role away from a struggling Miles Sanders in the middle of last season. Sanders serves as solid depth, and is looking to rebound in a new offense. The team also carries Raheem Blackshear, who splits reps between RB and returner, as their current RB3.

WR

Injured - Xavier Legette

Backup - Jonathan Mingo

Panthers fans everywhere were holding their breath as they awaited updates on their rookie WR, Xavier Legette, who suffered a lower leg injury on Sunday. The X-Rays came back negative for any broken bones, and the results of an MRI showed no long-term issues either. The rookie is considered day-to-day, but the worries of future injuries are still there.

Legette has been impressive in training camp, and losing him early would be a big problem for both the team and himself. He has dealt with injuries in the past, missing time during his last year at South Carolina primarily due to hamstring issues. The rookie also dealt with a nagging hamstring issue before the beginning of training camp.

Legette is only 23, but anyone starting their professional career with injuries is already at a disadvantage. Jonathan Mingo and Terrace Marshall Jr. are currently behind Legette on the depth chart, and Legette now has to take a step back in practice. It's a prime opportunity for both to step up and show why they were former second-round picks.

TE

Injured - Ian Thomas, Tommy Tremble

Backups - Ja’Tavion Sanders, Jordan Matthews

The tight end position has taken the biggest blow thus far for Carolina, as their two starters in Thomas and Tremble have both suffered injuries. Thomas has a calf issue, while Tremble is dealing with a hamstring problem. Stephen Sullivan, another TE, has already been lost for the season after a quadriceps injury.

This means that the team’s fourth-round rookie, Ja’Tavion Sanders, will now have to be brought along quicker than Canales originally anticipated. He hasn’t seen much action in training camp, but will now receive valuable reps as Carolina’s new starting TE.

Jordan Matthews, the former Philadelphia Eagle WR turned TE, has impressed Canales so far in training camp, and could now see the field more often than anyone previously thought. Canales specifically mentioned Matthews on multiple occasions when discussing standout players in training camp so far.

OL

Injured - Yosh Nijman (OT), Damien Lewis (LG)

Backups - Brady Christensen, Chandler Zavala

Carolina had one of the worst offensive lines in the NFL in 2023, allowing Bryce Young to be sacked 62 times in his 16 starts. One of the primary areas of focus for the new front office was obvious: get that man some help. Within the first few hours of free agency, the team agreed to terms on big-money deals with Damien Lewis and Robert Hunt, two of the more sought-after guards available. They also brought in Yosh Nijman, who started each game for the Green Bay Packers at left tackle in 2023 after Week 7.

The Nijman signing was not only meant to be for depth, but to help push former sixth-overall pick Ikem Ekwonu, who was one of the worst left tackles in the league last season. Nijman proved himself during his time as a starter in Green Bay, and would give Carolina freedom to sit Ekwonu should his struggles continue.

Nijman was placed on the physically unable to perform list in late July, and Lewis has suffered a shoulder injury. Brady Christensen was drafted as a tackle/guard hybrid, and could theoretically step in at either left tackle or guard if the need arises. Chandler Zavala is currently listed as LG2 on the depth chart, but has struggled heavily so far in his pro career. Every member of Panthers nation has their fingers crossed that the starters can stay healthy in 2024.

MLB

Injured - Shaq Thompson

Backup - Trevin Wallace

Carolina's longterm vet, Shaq Thompson, missed the entire 2023 campaign after breaking his right leg early in the year. The team sorely missed their defensive quarterback in the middle, struggling all year at LB.

The Panthers knew they needed more depth at the position, and made an effort to restock their LB group, signing former Denver Bronco Josey Jewell and drafting two linebackers in Trevin Wallace and Michael Barrett.

Thompson has now suffered a hamstring injury, which Canales says is "not serious" but is urging caution anyway. Wallace, their third-round pick, has performed well in training camp at MLB, and softens the blow of missing Thompson for any period of time. While the team would love to get their defensive leader back early, the depth is there to cover for him.

OLB

Injured - DJ Wonnum

Backup - K'Lavon Chaisson

Perhaps the biggest story of the 2024 offseason out of Charlotte was the bungling of how they handled former EDGE Brian Burns. After the former GM, Scott Fitterer, refused to trade Burns to the Los Angeles Rams for two first round picks and a second round pick, he publicly declared the team's intent to sign Burns to a longterm deal.

That never worked out, and the team's new GM, Dan Morgan, was forced to play clean up. After failing to come to terms during negotiation with Burns, the team decided to cut their losses and trade their former first round pick to the New York Giants. The return? Only a second round pick and a fifth round pick.

The OLB room is still weak on paper, and one of the players signed to replace Burns, former Minnesota Viking DJ Wonnum, is dealing with a quad injury that has landed him on the PUP list. Another offseason signing, former Jacksonville Jaguars first-round pick K'Lavon Chaisson, would start in Wonnum's place if the season started today. The team is still looking for more pieces to add to the EDGE room, if that gives you any idea on how confident they are in this current group.

Safety

Injured - Sam Franklin Jr.

Backup - Jammie Robinson

Out of all the position groups affected by injuries, Carolina's safety group is one that, barring any more injuries, should still perform well. The loss of Franklin, however, hurts not only the team's depth in their secondary, but their special teams as well. He suffered a broken foot that will sideline him for most of the 2024 season.

Franklin has proven to be a decent third safety and an ace on special teams. Carolina still has Xavier Woods and Jordan Fuller healthy, and unless something unusual happens, the pair should start at each safety spot.

Behind the starters, Jammie Robinson projects as the third safety on the depth chart. Robinson was a fifth round pick out of Florida State, but hasn't transitioned to the NFL as well as the team had hoped. If he sees significant snaps this season, that secondary could be in some trouble.

A Tough Spot

With so many injuries affecting so many different position groups, the Carolina Panthers are already in a tough spot before a preseason snap has even been played. GM Dan Morgan has said the team will be active on the waiver wire and on roster cut-down days.

Expect to see a slew of new players donning that process blue before September 8.