Training camp starts for the Carolina Panthers next week. On a whole, fans don’t keep up with every move made in the off-season. Let’s recap and focus in on players fans may have forgotten about.
According to Tim Weaver of Panthers Wire, there were a handful of players that were out last season due to injuries or COVID-19 concerns that the fans can look forward to seeing this season.
1. RB Christian McCaffrey – McCaffrey is considered the best player on the Panthers roster. He was out the majority of the 2020 season. He missed thirteen games because of a few different injuries he sustained. McCaffrey suffered a high ankle sprain, a shoulder injury and a thigh injury.
2. RB Reggie Bonnafon – McCaffrey may be the most popular running back on the team, but he was not the only running back that missed significant time last season. Second string RB Reggie Bonnafon was placed on injured reserve in November, during the middle of the season. He was only able to play one eighth of the season (2 games), because of a devastating high ankle sprain injury.
3. WR Omar Bayless – Last season Bayless was a training camp diamond in the rough. Unfortunately, he had problems with knee soreness and swelling, which required surgery. The surgery put him on the shelf for the entirety of the 2020 season.
4. WR Keith Kirkwood – The Panthers lost another key piece to their aerial attack in training camp in 2020. Kirkwood sustained a broken clavicle. He was able to return in Week 6 at home against the Chicago Bears. During the game, he re-aggravated the injury which sidelined him for the rest of the year.
5. OLB Christian Miller – Miller has missed a substantial amount of time since he has been drafted by the Panthers. In his rookie campaign, he suffered an ankle injury. Miller was limited to only participating in seven games, which means his numbers and impact were not what they could have been. He only registered two sacks. Miller chose to sit out the 2020 campaign due to COVID -19 risks.
All of these guys are looking to have bounce back 2021 seasons. If they are able to stay healthy and limit their injuries, the Panthers win total will most likely improve.
