The Carolina Panthers are embarking on a pivotal Week 12 prime-time game against the San Francisco 49ers on Monday Night Football. And defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero could be without one of his most trusted figures for the clash.
There is real momentum building around the Panthers following their thrilling overtime triumph against the Atlanta Falcons. The last thing they need is for key men to be missing, especially versus one of their wild-card rivals boasting arguably the most prolific dual-threat running back in the league. But that looks like a genuine possibility, and it came from the player himself.
Christian Rozeboom left Week 11 with a hamstring issue. The free-agent signing revealed that there was some "other stuff" going on beforehand, and he's unsure about his status for Carolina's next contest under the national spotlight.
Carolina Panthers face linebacker crisis with Christian Rozeboom problem
Just what that means remains to be seen. Still, with Trevin Wallace, his partner at the defensive second level, currently navigating a shoulder problem that prevented his participation at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium, this could cause untold problems.
Panthers LB Christian Rozeboom said he had some “other stuff” health-wise during game before injuring his hamstring against Falcons. He’s not sure about his status for Monday night at San Francisco.
— Joe Person (@josephperson) November 18, 2025
Obviously, nothing has been determined one way or another. Rozeboom didn't sound very enthusiastic about the injury, so it's a wait-and-see scenario for now. Wallace will be striving to get back, but if both miss the clash, the Panthers will rely on a combination of Claudin Cherelus, Maema Njongmeta, and undrafted rookie Bam Martin-Scott against Christian McCaffrey.
This is the first time Carolina has faced McCaffrey in a competitive setting since trading him. The All-Pro is in relentless form right now, racking up 1,439 yards from scrimmage and 11 touchdowns already this season. He'll also be eager to prove that the Panthers made a grave error by deeming him expendable.
Rozeboom has come on significantly after struggling early on. Having the green dot responsibilities took away his instinctiveness, and it showed. Once Wallace took on these duties, it allowed the veteran to play with freedom. The progress was evident, and the defense has looked a lot more stable since.
If the Panthers are without their two second-level tone-setters at Levi's Stadium, that changes their outlook. Cherelus played well against the Falcons, and Martin-Scott has promise. But there are far too many unknowns to inspire confidence.
The Panthers are just half a game out of the NFC South lead. With the Tampa Bay Buccaneers playing the Los Angeles Rams this weekend, there is a very real chance Carolina could take the top spot with a win. Easier said than done, so it's an all-hands-on-deck situation with stakes rising.
Fans will closely monitor Rozeboom's status in the coming days. But the player's admission didn't inspire much confidence.