An already-depleted Carolina Panthers cornerback room got even thinner on Thursday night.
Rookie Will Lee III, who had been playing some admirable ball in the absences of starters Jaycee Horn and Mike Jackson, went down with a hamstring injury in the second quarter of the 27-19 loss. The setback occurred on a 53-yard reception by Green Bay Packers wideout Christian Watson, as the 2026 fourth-round pick went down in his pursuit and would later be carted away to the locker room.
Head coach Dave Canales told reporters after the game that the extent of Lee's injury was "pretty good," and addressed the troubles his defense had in containing Green Bay's passing attack.
"Kinda battled out there and gave everything he [Lee] had on that one to affect the play,"
Canales stated. "But besides that, early on, they were having a lot of success in some third-and-longer types of situations. I'd love to see us get off the field in those moments—because we did a great job of first and second down, owning the run game and minimizing them. It really should've been an advantage for our defense in those modes."
Packers quarterback Jordan Love finished having completed 30 of his 41 throws for 288 yards, three touchdowns and an interception. He also led his offense to a 56.3-percent success rate (nine-of-16) on third downs.
Love and Green Bay took advantage of a Panthers secondary that started practice squad member Marco Wilson in place of Akaylen Evans, who was placed on injured reserve earlier in the day. Wilson, who did turn in a pretty solid performance, had not taken a regular-season snap on defense since 2024 prior to this evening.
With the injuries at the position continuing to pile up, Canales was then asked if the team will explore the trade market for cornerback help. He deferred to general manager Dan Morgan and executive vice president of football operations Brandt Tilis on that topic.
"We'd always be open to different things if it makes sense," he replied. "With our current and full roster and salary cap situation and all that—that's probably a better question for Dan, for Brandt.
"But at the same time, we got guys like Corey Thornton waiting around, itching for an opportunity. He's gonna get that opportunity real soon. I'm excited for those guys to step in. I've been really proud of the guys—Akayleb, now Marco, Chau [Smith-Wade] stepping in. I'm really proud of the way the guys have stepped in and really represented for their teammates."
As Canales hinted at, the Panthers' limited salary cap room could prevent them from making a difference-making move. Carolina, per Over The Cap, currently has just over $530,000 in space—which accounts for the second-lowest amount in the NFL.
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This article originally appeared on Panthers Wire: HC Dave Canales is asked if Panthers will explore trade market for CB help
