The Carolina Panthers were hoping for good health heading into their first padded practice of training camp. Unfortunately, there is a new scare for fans to worry about.
According to reports from those in attendance, second-year tight end Mitchell Evans was carted off into the facility with an apparent lower-body injury. The information is sketchy, and it is an anxious wait for the fan base before head coach Dave Canales provides more clarity on the issue.
This comes on the back of edge rusher Nic Scourton, who was Evans' draft classmate last year, being lost for the season with a torn ACL. The Panthers will be hoping for a better prognosis with the Notre Dame product, especially given the opportunity for more involvement this time around.
Mitchell Evans carted off during Carolina Panthers' first padded practice of camp
Canales has praised Evans for his application and improvements throughout the offseason. He believes everything is starting to slow down and click for the player after his rookie flashes. If this comes to a halt through injury, it would be another hammer blow.
Mitchell Evans is being carted off to the locker room after injuring himself during team drills. Looks like it’s a lower body injury.
— Carolina Blitz (@KeepBlitzin) July 28, 2026
The Panthers did nothing to strengthen their tight end room this offseason. Most fans were clamoring for change, but general manager Dan Morgan kept faith with the options available. Carolina remains high on the group, and Evans is one of the liveliest candidates to take a step forward.
Hopefully, that will still be the case. Because the last thing Carolina needs is another one of its fledgling breakout hopefuls going to the sidelines.
Nobody should speculate. Evans clearly felt something was amiss, and this is the precise time of year to err on the side of caution. The 2025 fifth-round pick will undergo more tests, and everyone will be praying for good updates from here on.
If he has to miss some time, so be it. But being ready for Week 1 against the Chicago Bears is all that really matters.
The Panthers also have Ja'Tavion Sanders, Tommy Tremble, James Mitchell, and Feleipe Franks to pick up the slack. Not exactly a group of household names or elite-level performers, but it's the direction Carolina has decided to take.
Evans showed flashes of being a well-rounded tight end in Year 1. Canales has seen legitimate growth from the player this offseason, which raises optimism about moving to the top of Carolina's tight-end food chain. But this is now all predicated on the severity of his injury, after he became the second player to be carted off the field since training camp began.
Let's hope for positive news.
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