Taylor Moton, Carolina’s starting right tackle and one of the best offensive linemen in the entire league, just fractured his fibula yesterday against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. This isn’t just a bump or a bruise, folks, this is a season-ending bomb dropped on the Panthers’ offensive line, and he’s already been placed on injured reserve.
Green Bay’s Nightmare Short Week
Over in Green Bay, the Packers didn’t even have a full practice on Monday, but they still had to drop an estimated injury report for their quick-turnaround Thursday Night Football game against, you guessed it, Carolina. And let me tell you, this list is aggressive, with seven players on it, likely because they just played Sunday. The estimated non-participants for Monday included wide receiver Matthew Golden (shoulder/foot), center Sean Rhyan (ankle), right guard Travis Glover (knee), defensive linemen Devonte Wyatt (ankle) and Anthony Campbell (ankle), and linebacker Zaire Franklin (shin). Four of those guys,Golden, Glover, Wyatt, and Campbell,actually finished Sunday’s game against the Detroit Lions, though Wyatt did have to drop out for a bit.
But here’s the real gut punch: Mike linebacker Zaire Franklin missed Sunday’s game entirely with a reported fractured shin, and he’s expected to be out this week against the Panthers. And Rhyan, just like Jacob Monk, went down in-game and never returned, forcing John Williams to slide into the center spot. Speaking of Monk, he’s now officially on injured reserve. The only guy who was even a limited participant was guard Aaron Banks, who’s battling both knee tendinitis and a toe injury. The good news, if you can call it that, is cornerback Benjamin St-Juste (hamstring), who was scratched Sunday, was an estimated full participant.
Roster Shuffle and Deep Worries
With a quick turnaround to Thursday, the Packers have to trim their 53-man roster down to a 48-man game-day squad. If Franklin and Rhyan are definitely out, that frees up two spots. Green Bay will likely scratch two more offensive linemen, since they rarely roll with more than eight on game day, plus running back Kaleb Johnson, who was a healthy scratch against the Panthers last time. But the real headaches start if defensive linemen Wyatt and Campbell can’t get back on the field for Thursday’s action, or if wide receiver Golden can’t suit up. Keep an eye on those situations, because losing those guys for a short week would be absolutely brutal.
Carolina’s Own Wounded
The Panthers, while dealing with their own immediate firestorm, also held a walkthrough Monday without a full practice. Their non-participants included starting guard Damien Lewis, offensive lineman Torricelli Simpkins, defensive lineman Bobby Brown III, starting edge rusher Jaelen Phillips, and cornerback Akayleb Evans. That’s a decent list of guys who didn’t practice, but it’s all completely overshadowed by the absolute bombshell that is Moton’s injury.
Carolina’s offensive line just lost a cornerstone, and Green Bay is limping hard into a crucial Thursday Night Football matchup. Both teams are going to have to dig deep, but Carolina’s challenge, especially up front, just got a whole lot tougher. This Thursday night game is going to be a war of attrition, and whoever can patch themselves up faster will have a real shot.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Acme Packing Company.
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