Even the most promising teams in the NFL can have their entire season derailed by injuries. The Carolina Panthers haven't been taken out yet, but they have been bitten hard by the injury bug ever since the start of training camp.
This past week, in their 21-18 loss to the Cleveland Browns—the reigning NFC South champions suffered several more setbacks to key players—including quarterback Bryce Young, wide receiver Jalen Coker, left guard Damien Lewis and starting cornerbacks Jaycee Horn and Mike Jackson. Carolina is now undeniably in trouble in this department going into a big Week 4 matchup with the Detroit Lions.
Here's Jeremy Fowler at ESPN detailing (most) of the Panthers' mounting injury problems, and tabbing them as among the most concerning
in the league:
. . . the Panthers are down their top two corners, including Pro Bowl player Jaycee Horn for a significant portion of the season. Guard Damien Lewis is out because of an elbow issue. They lost pass rusher Nic Scourton in the preseason. Wide receiver Jalen Coker has been banged up. Both starting tackles from a year ago, Ikem Ekwonu and Taylor Moton, haven't played because of injury. Star linebacker Devin Lloyd sat out Week 3. Running back Jonathon Brooks is out six weeks. And, oh yeah, Bryce Young has lower-body soreness that he's getting checked out via a second opinion. The Panthers rebuilt the roster with a 2026 breakout in mind, but attrition is affecting that plan.
That's a long list, but Fowler neglected to mention several names—including 2026 third-round pick and wide receiver Chris Brazzell, who's out for the season on injured reserve after suffering an LCL tear early in camp. Brazzell was expected to factor into the Panthers offense, even as a relatively raw rookie.
There's also defensive tackle Tershawn Wharton, who's yet to play this season due to a neck injury that required offseason surgery. Running back Trevor Etienne is also on IR with a high ankle sprain, and so is Claudin Cherelus (shoulder), Brady Christensen (hamstring) and Bam Martin-Scott (hamstring). Wide receiver Xavier Legette also sat out this past week with a knee issue.
On Wednesday, the Panthers placed Horn and Jackson on injured reserve—knocking them out for at least the next four weeks. Lewis is also expected to be sidelined for the prime-time matchup at Bank of America Stadium this Sunday.
This roster is definitely better than it was last year, but the football gods are cruel—and it's going to be really difficult to stay competitive with this many players out.
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This article originally appeared on Panthers Wire: Panthers' mounting injuries among most concerning in NFL
