The Panthers have had trouble keeping their offensive line healthy in 2018 – it started in training camp when first Daryl Williams, then Amini Silatolu, then Jeremiah Sirles, then Matt Kalil – it seems like a lot when you read them all in a row, right? – went down with respective injuries. Williams and Kalil landed on injured reserve to essentially start the season – Williams played a single half; Silatolu joined them on IR last week and Sirles was released with an injury settlement and now plays for the Buffalo Bills.
Not to mention Trai Turner has missed time this season with assorted ailments and the line – while they’ve only allowed 57 quarterback hits through 14 games – hasn’t been particularly healthy, they’ve been able to work together to provide the front for the second-best rushing game in the NFL.
Now, after getting banged up during the first half of the Panthers Week 13 loss to the Cleveland Browns, the Panthers were without left tackle Chris Clark, who has started every game since being signed ahead of Week 2, for Thursday’s practice – but the 33-year old Clark, should be ready for Monday Night Football – the Panthers get an extra day of practice on Saturday, so the schedule is pushed back a day. Players like Julius Peppers and Mike Adams that normally have Wednesdays off were off on Thursday this week.
“Today we wanted to give him a little rest and see how [Clark] is,” head coach Ron Rivera said. “We’ll see how he responds to the work he did on the side. We expect him to be ready to roll.”
Graham Gano again missed practice after sitting out last week and missing Week 13 in Cleveland – while Gano said that he was working to get back as fast as possible, he would not go into detail about the knee injury that caused him to miss the Browns game, only elaborating to say that he hurt the leg the Wednesday ahead of the game in Tampa Bay – where he made all three of his kicks, including a 37-yard field goal.
Chandler Catanzaro, who the Panthers signed last Friday, made all four of his kicks – two field goals and two extra points – in Cleveland.
Check out the rest of the injury report below:
| Name | Injury | Practice Participation | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mike Adams | Rest/Wrist | None | |
| Chris Clark | Knee | None | Rivera said that the left tackle would be "ready to roll" |
| Thomas Davis | Rest | None | |
| Graham Gano | Left Knee | None | |
| Rashaan Gaulden | Illness | None | |
| Julius Peppers | Rest | None | |
| Cam Newton | Right Shoulder | Limited | |
| Kawann Short | Calf | Limited |
