Quote:Dave Canales offers updates on 6 injured Carolina Panthers as team heads into bye


The Carolina Panthers enter their bye week with a lot of confidence after defeating the Detroit Lions at home on the Sunday Night Football stage.

Now, the next question:

Can they emerge from the bye week healthy?

On Monday, head coach Dave Canales offered injury status updates on nine players who the Panthers will be relying on in two weeks from now - when the Panthers face the Philadelphia Eagles on the road in Week 6 - and beyond.

Here’s a quick look at those nine, with commentary from Canales.


Taylor Moton, NFI list

The Panthers need “medical clearance” to ensure that Moton - the team’s veteran starting right tackle - is good to return to the field, Canales said. The former 2017 draft pick had a blood clot in his lung this summer and missed all of training camp and the preseason due to the ailment. He is officially eligible to return to the field Week 6.

As Canales said of Moton and defensive lineman Turk Wharton, who appear to be on the same return-to-play timeline: “We’ve pushed them as hard as we can within the confines of their mode to know that they’re physically ready to do it. But then there’s structural stuff, medical stuff with T-Mo that we’re at the mercy of.”


Turk Wharton, PUP list

Wharton, like Moton, is eligible to return to the field Week 6 in Philadelphia. His neck injury has sidelined him up until this point, but he is regularly at practice, putting in work on the sideline while the rest of the team goes through team drills.


Ikem Ekwonu, PUP list

The Panthers’ starting left tackle suffered a ruptured patellar tendon in the team’s playoff game last year. Such kickstarted a months-long recovery process. The 2022 first-round draft pick still has “a ways” to go to return to the field.

The coach added: “Ickey is progressing well. They’re pushing him. He’s moving, he’s jumping, he’s doing some different things. But we have to be able to get it to a point where he’s getting pushed on and all those things. And that’s still in front of us. But he’s in great spirits. He’s attacking it. They’re doing a great job in RTP (return-to-play).”


Monroe Freeling, hurt vs. Lions

The team’s rookie starting right tackle, who was on the injury report last week under concussion protocol, suffered another injury Sunday. It was specifically a knee injury. Canales didn’t get into many specifics beyond the fact that he got “rolled up on.” He said that Freeling is “well within the window that we think they could make it back” for the Eagles game.


Jaelan Phillips, hurt vs. Lions

The Panthers’ premier outside linebacker suffered an injury late on Sunday evening against the Lions on a pass rush. He exited the game with a hamstring injury and didn’t return. Canales told reporters Monday that he’ll be in “return to play” processing, adding: “We’re hopeful for Philly. We’ll see.”

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Other Carolina Panthers to consider

Wide receiver Jalen Coker. The starting wide receiver suffered a quad injury against the Cleveland Browns in Week 3. Considering he was a late scratch ahead of Sunday Night Football, it appeared he was close to being ready to go. A return after the bye week is in the cards. His return is crucial, now that fellow starting receiver Xavier Legette is on the injured reserve and will miss at minimum the team’s next four games.

Tight end Feleipe Franks. The special teams ace went to the blue medical tent to be evaluated for a concussion. He was cleared, however, and was out on the field on that final punt of the day from the Panthers.

Left guard Damien Lewis. The Panthers’ best offensive lineman, statistically, wasn’t asked about Monday, but Canales told reporters prior to the Sunday’s contest that he would need approximately a week to recover from the elbow injury he suffered against the Cleveland Browns. He was out Sunday; that means he’ll have two weeks of off time with the bye this-coming Sunday.

Linebacker Bam Martin-Scott. The former South Carolina Gamecock is a coaching staff favorite for his acumen and prowess on special teams. He suffered a hamstring injury in the preseason and thus was placed on the team’s IR prior to the season. He, like Etienne, is eligible to return Week 6 against the Eagles.