The Carolina Panthers’ playoff fate comes down to the final three weeks of the regular season. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers voyage to Charlotte on Sunday for a crucial Week 16 matchup. Both clubs face high stakes. After a quiet and encouraging week of practice before Week 15, the injury report on Wednesday isn’t as tame.
4 Starters Listed As DNP on Wednesday’s Week 16 Injury Report
Four Carolina Panthers players did not participate in the first practice of the preparation period for the Week 16 game due to injuries. All four are starters, though the severity of their injuries appears to vary.
Starting left tackle Ikem Ekwonu (knee) missed Wednesday’s practice due to a knee injury, putting his status for upcoming games in doubt. Head coach Dave Canales said, “He made it through the game; he was battling out there.” Canales added, “In the postgame evaluation, as we started doing tests on him — there’s something in there, there’s something going on with his knee.”
A fourth-year player and former No. 6 overall pick, Ekwonu has had a good season. He has given the Panthers’ front office plenty to consider with potential contract decisions coming up. He’s graded out (78.5) as the No. 27 OL in the league through Week 15, according to PFSN’s OLi metric.
Ekwonu told reporters in the locker room he underwent an MRI. He did not discuss the results or diagnosis. He’s officially listed as day-to-day. Yosh Nijman took first-team reps at left tackle in his absence. Utility OL Jake Curhan also has experience at tackle, Canales noted.
Ekwonu’s buddy on the left side, guard Damien Lewis (illness), also sat out. Wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan (foot/ankle) and defensive lineman Tershawn Wharton (hamstring) rounded out the list of inactive players in the early-week practice.
Wharton missed the most recent game after showing up on the Saturday injury report with a hamstring issue. He must increase his activity in the coming days if he hopes to play this week.
McMillan’s case is interesting, but not very concerning. Canales was asked if this ankle or foot ailment had bothered McMillan before. He replied, “This was stuff that just came up in the game. I think he got rolled up on in a run play, it looked like.” The team decided to keep McMillan out of practice today and wants him back tomorrow.
According to a social media post by David Newton for ESPN, McMillan stated that the ankle/foot issue has been lingering for a few weeks. He also expressed optimism about game day, saying, “As long as I can go on Sunday, I’m good.”
Veteran WR and special teams contributor David Moore (elbow) had his 21-day practice window opened this week. He started strong, fully participating in Wednesday’s practice for the first time since his early Week 4 elbow injury against the New England Patriots.
Jaycee Horn (not injury related/rest) and Taylor Moton (back) were both limited participants. Trevin Wallace (shoulder) was listed as a full participant, despite being added to the report.
