While the Panthers went into Philadelphia with a fairly clean injury report – only rookie linebacker Andre Smith missed the game due to an ongoing battle with his hamstring – they were forced to alter their defensive line rotation when Mario Addison, who plays the highest percentage of the snaps among the defensive ends, took a knee to the back on only the third defensive play of the game – while the Panthers 2018 sack leader returned later in the game, he was eventually ruled out.
“I was rushing, took an inside move and then I took a knee to the back – the lower back, where the bone’s at and it felt like everything shut down,” Addison said in the locker room on Monday. “Right now, I’m OK, just a little stiff. It was rough, man, I wish I could played more.”
Addison indicated that he would spend a less time on the practice field and more time with the trainers this week, so don’t be surprised when you see him missing practice on Wednesday and perhaps even Thursday. But as far as Sunday against Baltimore?
“I’ll be good,” said Addison.
Linebacker Thomas Davis, who missed some playing time yesterday in the third quarter, was simply poked in the eye on a third-down stop and will not suffer any lingering effects.
One of the heroes on the offensive side of the ball, wide receiver Torrey Smith, was also banged up, suffering a leg injury on the final drive of the game – while Smith wouldn’t reveal what the x-rays had shown, Ron Rivera was optimistic about the 29-year old wide receiver who has had his best two games of the season over the past two weeks on the road.
“He hit the ground pretty hard with his knee,” said Rivera. “I don’t think there’s anything structurally wrong, but he’s going to see the doctors this afternoon just to make sure everything’s OK. The first indication I got last night was he took a pretty good shot when he hit the ground and he did have a little swelling.”
In typical Smith fashion, he opted to make jokes on Monday.
“I don’t have a torn ACL or anything and I’m walking fine, so everything’s good,” said Smith with a smile to go along with his limp on Monday. “They said I’ve got a booboo on my knee so I’ve got to toughen up.”
The Panthers first official injury report comes out Wednesday.
