Report: Panthers safety Jeremy Chinn could miss 6 weeks with quad injury
Jeremy Chinn, one of the Panthers’ most versatile defenders, is expected to miss six weeks of action as he deals with a major quad injury.
This is according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Chinn “does not need surgery,” Schefter reported.
The Panthers selected Chinn in the second round of the 2020 NFL Draft. He was so impressive in his inaugural season that he finished second to Washington’s Chase Young as NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year. And in 2021, he led the Panthers in tackles with 107. His stats dropped last season. But that was because he strained a hamstring and missed seven games.
Carolina uses Chinn as a safety, nickelback and linebacker. As of now, his 23 tackles are sixth best on the team. There had been lots of recent chatter that the Panthers were looking to trade Chinn. The deadline is Oct.. 31. Chinn is in the final year of his rookie deal, so he was going to be a free agent at the end of the season, anyway. But with a bad quad, obviously, a trade isn’t an option anymore.
Injuries have scrambled Panthers secondary
The winless Panthers face a dire situation in their secondary. Last week against the Dolphins, Carolina played without starting safeties Xavier Woods (hamstring) and Vonn Bell (quad) as well as cornerback and Jaycee Horn (hamstring). The defense could do little to stop Tua Tagovailoa and the league’s top offense in a 42-21 defeat.
On Tuesday, the Panthers did improve their depth when they signed Alex Cook from the Giants practice squad. He already started practicing with his new team. The Giants signed Cook, who captained the Washington Huskies defense in 2022, as an undrafted free agent. Against the Dolphins, the Panthers turned to special teamer Sam Franklin Jr. and elevated veteran Matthias Farley from the practice squad last week to fill in for the ailing DBs.
Meanwhile, Wood may be able to return after the bye this weekend. And like Wood, Horn also is hoping to return next week. He strained his hamstring in the season opener.
The Panthers are back in action, Oct. 29, against the Texans. Although Carolina is winless, the game should be interesting to NFL fans because it’ll feature the top two picks of April’s draft. Bryce Young, the top choice, is the starting quarterback for the Panthers, while CJ Stroud quarterbacks the Texans.