Carolina Panthers rumors indicate news of a Kelvin Benjamin injury suffered during practice. Benjamin has reportedly been dealing with a knee issue for several weeks, but he was forced out of practice early on Wednesday (Oct. 18) as the team prepared for its Week 7 game against the Chicago Bears. This is considered a fluid situation, as head coach Ron Rivera hasn’t issued an update yet. A report by NBC Sports did confirm that Benjamin received a DNP on Wednesday.
More injuries are the last thing that the Panthers wanted to be dealing with as they prepare to face the Bears on Sunday (Oct.
22). Middle linebacker Luke Kuechly is in the NFL concussion protocol following an injury he suffered against the Philadelphia Eagles last Thursday. It was the third reported concussion for Kuechly, as he also missed time during the 2015 and 2016 seasons due to similar hits. Now he is listed as questionable on the Panthers’ injury report.
Could Benjamin miss time?
Getting a DNP for a Wednesday practice is never a good sign for a player. It raises the possibility that Kelvin Benjamin could soon be ruled out for the Week 7 game. What fans have to hope is that it isn’t a serious enough issue that it forces Benjamin to miss several games. The Carolina Panthers don’t have their bye week until near the end of November, so they need to make it through the next four games before getting rewarded with some rest.
Those games come against the Chicago Bears, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Atlanta Falcons, and Miami Dolphins.
This also isn’t the first time that Benjamin has been dealing with knee issues. He suffered a season-ending ACL tear during his second training camp with the team. Benjamin would end up missing the entire 2015 NFL season as a result.
The latest injury to his knee took place in a Week 3 loss to the New Orleans Saints when he tweaked the knee in the second quarter. He ended up missing the rest of that game and has been having the knee worked on for the past few weeks.
What Benjamin means to the Panthers
Currently, Kelvin Benjamin is third on the Carolina Panthers in receptions, catching 26 passes for 371 yards and a touchdown.
He is a really important piece to the offense and to quarterback Cam Newton, but the team does have some additional weapons if he has to miss any games. That includes Christian McCaffrey, who has 37 catches for 293 yards, Devin Funchess with 27 catches for 305 yards, and Ed Dickson, who has 15 catches for 307 yards.
Injuries are starting to mount for the Panthers, as the team is also without Pro Bowl tight end Greg Olsen. Missing Olsen, Benjamin, and Kuechly against the Chicago Bears could create a difficult situation for the team. Cam Newton has had the team playing much better this season, though, so it’s possible that the depth of the roster could overcome these injuries. Fans should consider this a fluid situation and that these Carolina Panthers rumors about Kelvin Benjamin will likely get addressed at practice on Thursday (Oct. 19).
