Dave Canales confirms Panthers avoided major injuries with the two starters injured Sunday night, provides updates on other injury situations
The Carolina Panthers avoided major injuries when it comes to the status of pass rusher Jaelan Phillips and right tackle Monroe Freeling as the team looks to get healthier during the bye week.
The Carolina Panthers had some cause for concern on Sunday night despite the team’s massive primetime win over the Detroit Lions after two of the team’s top starters left the game early with injuries.
Rookie right tackle Monroe Freeling left the game in the fourth quarter with a knee injury and was seen on the sideline with a brace already on his right knee. Soon after, star pass rusher Jaelan Phillips left the game as well with a hamstring injury along with a concussion.
Those two are two of the team’s top investments they made this offseason with Freeling being the team’s first-round selection and Phillips being the team’s high prized free agent acquisition. Seeing them leave the game was already enough of a concern and thankfully the injuries they suffered shouldn’t sideline them for too long.
Dave Canales provides positive injury news on Monroe Freeling and Jaelan Phillips
Speaking with reporters on Monday heading into a much-needed bye week, head coach Dave Canales provided a positive update on the status of both starters.
“We’re monitoring both of those guys right now, I won’t be able to give you all of the specifics, I really don’t want to do that right now,” Canales said. “But, Jaelan’s got a hamstring, he is going to be in return-to-play and we’re hopeful for Philly (in Week 6), we’ll see. He’s got to go through the right progression of it. We’ll push him the right way at the right pace. . .
“Monroe’s knee, he got rolled up on. Again, same type of thing. These guys are well within the window that we think they could make it back. I can’t say that that’s going to happen for the Eagles game. We have to see. It really is going to be: go through this week, treat it, get to next week for the game week to be able to start pushing them and see if they’re going to be available.”
Losing either Freeling or Phillips would have been major blows for this team and that’s honestly the best news we could have gotten on their status. If they can’t return in time for Week 6 after the bye, Stone Forsythe would likely get the start at right tackle while Pat Jones II and Princely Umanmielen step up as the starting edge rushers.
Ideally, though, both players will make it back in time for that Week 6 game.
Other injury updates on players working to make their season debuts
Along with that, Canales also offered some injury updates on some of the players currently on the IR, PUP, and NFI that are still working to make their season debuts at some point this season.
Canales said that with veteran right tackle Taylor Moton (blood clots) and veteran defensive tackle Turk Wharton (neck) the team still needs medical clearance before they can return to play, but physically they have been pushed as far as they can within the confides of their rehab process.
As for left tackle Ickey Ekwonu, Canales said that he still has a ways to go before being cleared from his patellar tendon injury he suffered back in January, but he’s in good spirits and working hard to come back.
The one player the Panthers are expected to have back after the bye week is running back Trevor Etienne, who would provide a major boost to the backfield and in the return game.
