Panthers Injury Report: Week 3
The Carolina Panthers have a few notable names on their Week 3 injury report and will be without one key offensive player on Sunday.
The Panthers official injury report for Week 3 was released on Friday and listed four players total: running back Jonathan Stewart (out, hamstring), linebacker Jeremy Cash (doubtful, hamstring), defensive tackle Kawann Short (questionable, shoulder) and offensive guard Trai Turner (questionable, ankle).
All four players did not practice on Wednesday but both Short and Turner returned to practice on Thursday and Friday while Stewart and Cash remained sidelined doing individual rehab work.
As such, Short and Turner are both going to play and were only listed as questionable due to the league’s revised injury report policy that erased the probable designation. In his press conference with reporters on Friday, head coach Ron Rivera dispelled any question that his two “hog mollies” would play.
Stewart and Cash on the other hand were expected to sit out this game from the start of the practice week. And while Cash’s backup role can be filled fairly simply, the absence of the team’s lead back will shake things up a bit.
After leaving in the second quarter of Week 2’s matchup with the San Francisco 49ers, the Panthers were preparing to be without Stewart for a week or possibly more. Earlier in the week, Rivera mentioned they may proceed with caution with their running back to ensure he is fully healed for the remainder of the season.
With him out, the rushing duties will fall on the shoulders of second-year back Cameron Artis-Payne and Fozzy Whittaker, who had a terrific performance in relief last week (131 total yards).
Rivera has already slated Artis-Payne in as the “starter,” although he used the term loosely as depending on the opening formation, Whittaker could wind up getting the first carry. Regardless of the starer designation though, the plan is for both backs to get an equal amount of snaps and opportunities and the likeliest scenario is that the Panthers go with whoever is the “hot hand” during Sunday’s game.
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