Panthers receive another significant injury update that now adds more uncertainty on offense heading into Sunday Night Football
Carolina Panthers left guard Damien Lewis will undergo a second opinion on a UCL tear in his elbow, leaving the team without one of their top offensive linemen going into Sunday Night Football.
The Carolina Panthers cannot catch a break on the injury front. After losing Pro Bowl cornerback Jaycee Horn to a torn quad that could sideline him for the entire season, Carolina now faces another significant absence, this time on offense, heading into Sunday night’s game against the Detroit Lions.
Left guard Damien Lewis suffered what is believed to be a UCL tear in his elbow during the Panthers’ game against the Cleveland Browns, and he will miss at least the Week 4 matchup with Detroit. Lewis is expected to get a second opinion on the injury, but it could be one he’s able to eventually play through after Week 4.
Bad time for injuries to be piling up for the Panthers
Panthers head coach Dave Canales described the scene inside the facility this week, saying there was basically a waiting line to get into the medical room on Monday. Lewis becomes the latest to get a significant update.
The team’s veteran left guard left the Browns game briefly before returning and playing through visible pain, and Canales credited the veteran guard for toughing it out. After the medical team evaluated the injury early this week, it sounds like Lewis will sit out against the Lions this week at minimum.
The Panthers have a bye week in Week 5, which gives Lewis and the rest of the banged-up roster some additional time to recover. Still, losing a top player creates a real problem against Detroit’s pass rush, which has been productive through three games. The Lions’ front has been an underrated unit, and it is not the root of Detroit’s defensive struggles this season. That makes the left guard spot one to watch closely on Sunday night.
With Lewis sidelined, Corey Bullock will step in and make his first career start in Carolina. The Panthers also added Saahdiq Charles back to the practice squad this week as a reserve interior offensive line option. Charles spent training camp and the summer with the team, so the move was expected once Lewis’ status became clear.
Bullock now draws a tough first assignment against a Lions defense that has generated some pressure up-front. How Carolina handles that matchup could go a long way toward determining whether the Panthers can keep quarterback Bryce Young upright in what many expect to be a high-scoring affair.
Bryce Young’s status worth monitoring heading into Wednesday’s injury report
Speaking of Young, he is dealing with injury issues of his own after getting stepped on by left tackle Rasheed Walker during the Browns game. Young was checked out on the sideline and did not look like himself as the game wore on, though he still finished the contest. It would be a surprise if Young missed Sunday’s game, but Canales noted the quarterback is getting checked up on a couple of other things as well.
Young’s name is one to watch when the Panthers release their first injury report of Week 4 on Wednesday. If the injuries limit him in practice, it could change the complexion of the Panthers’ offensive preparation going up against a Lions offense capable of putting up points in bunches.
Carolina already was entering the Lions game shorthanded in the secondary without Horn and now are shorthanded on the offensive line without Lewis. The bye week in Week 5 gives the roster some badly needed recovery time, but the Panthers have to get through a big game on Sunday night first.
