The Carolina Panthers and head coach Matt Rhule come into the 2022 season with a lot of pressure on them.
He needed the team to have a smooth preseason, something to build momentum on.
However, the 2022 NFL preseason has ended in an injury filled disaster for Carolina.
While the team won against the Buffalo Bills in their preseason finale, it came at the price of losing several players.
But that preseason game wasn’t the only one where the Panthers lost players to injuries.
Injuries to key players have been a theme this preseason for Carolina.
So who’s out for the team as they prep for the 2022 NFL regular season?
Panthers Lose Zane Gonzalez, Derrick Brown, And Sam Darnold In Bills Game
A trio of Panthers players saw injuries cut short their preseason performance against the Bills.
Seeing all the injuries for our @Panthers last night overshadowed beating buffalo in a meaningless game…
— L⚽L Charlotte (@LOLCLT) August 27, 2022
Sam Darnold suffered an injury in what many thought could have been a worse outcome.
Sam Darnold was carted off the field with an apparent lower leg injury pic.twitter.com/rHH9yVU3Zg
— B/R Gridiron (@brgridiron) August 27, 2022
While he might have avoided a serious injury, he’ll miss some time with his current injury.
However, the injury to kicker Zane Gonzalez puts Carolina in a tough spot.
His groin injury came from him doing warmup kicks on the sideline and now leaves the team without a kicker.
Panthers kicker Zane Gonzalez is getting carted to locker room.
We now have a preseason finale where one team is without a kicker and the other their punter.
— Jon Scott (@JonScottTV) August 27, 2022
But the last injury came from defensive tackle, and former 2020 first-round pick, Derrick Brown.
His oblique injury wasn’t severe, meaning the Panthers dodge a bullet with his injury.
Some good news in the rash of bad that’s happened the last 30 mins:@KristenBalboni reports Derrick Brown’s oblique injury designation after halftime “was more of a preseason precaution.”
— Bill Voth (@PanthersBill) August 27, 2022
However, some other injuries are a major concern for the future of the Panthers.
Rookie QB Matt Corral Is Out For The Season
A bad offensive line wasn’t able to protect Matt Corral in the preseason.
That lack of protection led to him suffering a season ending injury.
Panthers rookie QB Matt Corral suffers Lisfranc injury, likely season-ending. (via @RapSheet) pic.twitter.com/WSvSGZdBHN
— NFL (@NFL) August 20, 2022
It now jeopardizes the future of the Panthers, as Corral’s desire was to become the team’s starting quarterback.
However, this isn’t the first time a Carolina QB has suffered this type of injury.
Former Panthers QB Cam Newton also suffered a Lisfranc injury while with the team in 2019.
But that injury has affected him, as he’s yet to return to his former glory.
So what does this injury mean for Corral’s NFL career?
Lisfranc Injuries Can Have Lingering Issues, Even After Surgery
A Lisfranc injury isn’t one to ignore as an athlete.
These injuries have issues that linger for players, even after surgery.
@OmarKelly Interesting note on LisFranc injury: recovery period can linger due to poor blood flow stemming from how constricted the foot is.
— Steven Bottoni (@stevenbottoni) August 15, 2013
While some of the lingering comes from the recovery time, others come from the injury itself.
The lingering issues from a Lisfranc injury have even shortened players’ careers.
I like Hollywood's game but the lisfranc injury scares me. Those tend to linger and ended Hakeem Nicks' career.
— Chris Rime (@Chris_Rime) April 18, 2019
However, if Corral does everything right, he can minimize these lingering issues.
But having such a serve injury early in his career can prevent him from reaching his maximum potential.
It will be a long road to recovery for Corral with this injury.
While the road is long, Corral isn’t one to let the injury keep him down.
The drive and passion he has for football will help him in his road to recovery.
Panthers fans can only hope he will return with a fire inside to prove nothing will hold him back from becoming the face of the franchise.
NEXT: Is A Cam Newton Return To Carolina A Reality?