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Ryan Kalil to make season debut on Friday

By Brandon Scott

CHARLOTTE, NC - JANUARY 03: Cam Newton #1 and Ryan Kalil #67 of the Carolina Panthers bump helmets prior to their NFC Wild Card Playoff game against the Arizona Cardinals at Bank of America Stadium on January 3, 2015 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images)
CHARLOTTE, NC - JANUARY 03: Cam Newton #1 and Ryan Kalil #67 of the Carolina Panthers bump helmets prior to their NFC Wild Card Playoff game against the Arizona Cardinals at Bank of America Stadium on January 3, 2015 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images) /
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Ryan Kalil expected to make preseason debut on Friday against the Miami Dolphins…

Veteran center Ryan Kalil is ready to begin his final season. Having previously announced his intentions to retire after 2018, the Carolina Panthers are being cautious with their long-time captain.

The one center quarterback Cam Newton has known for a majority of his career, Carolina had hoped to limit his preseason exposure. After battling multiple injuries over the past few seasons, including a neck injury that sidelined him for 10 games last year, ensuring Kalil can stay on the field in 2018 will be key to the Panthers success.

Backup Tyler Larsen started in Kalil’s absence last week and was initially scheduled to carry a majority of the workload throughout these first four preseason games. However, after sustaining a minor injury (elbow) of his own, the veteran starter has been called into action.

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According to Jourdan Rodrigue of The Charlotte Observer, coach Ron Rivera already revealed his decision, simply stating, “Ryan will play this week.” Kalil will start and similar to nearly every first-team member during a second preseason game, expect him to exit soon following.

Depending on the number of plays in the first few series, many starters will head toward the sidelines soon after kickoff – Kalil included. If Larsen is unavailable, left guard front-runner Greg Van Roten will move over to fill in while opening a door for rookie Brendan Mahon to get some exposure.

Rivera also seemed interested in seeing new offensive coordinator Norv Turner execute the play calling and necessary communication should a two-minute opportunity arrive. Seeing Newton flawlessly turn a late offensive chance into points would be a welcome sight of good things to come this season.

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Look for Kalil in action during both scenarios when the Dolphins and Panthers kickoff at 7:30pm ET.

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