The Carolina Panthers are gearing up for their most important game in years. And head coach Dave Canales hasn't given up hope of playing the final ace up his sleeve.
There was an enormous amount of excitement among the fan base when Robert Hunt's 21-day return window was opened last week. The Pro Bowl offensive lineman has been out of action since tearing his bicep in Week 2. Most fans thought this would be season-ending, but the Panthers' surge into playoff contention led the former Louisiana standout to strive to return sooner than expected.
Last weekend's defeat to the Seattle Seahawks came too soon for Hunt, as expected. That was probably not the goal. Getting him back into the lineup for their title decider against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers was far more likely, which would exponentially improve the Panthers' chances of winning their first NFC South championship in a decade.
Carolina Panthers remain cautiously hopeful that Robert Hunt can return in Week 18
Canales remained noncommittal when discussing Hunt's availability. The Panthers will ramp up his workload in the coming days to see how he responds. However, the coach is cautiously optimistic about the right guard coming through unscathed for his triumphant return at the best possible time.
"I wouldn't say today like 'Yes, Rob's going,' but I think that today was a promising step in the right direction. It's a collective part first and foremost, making sure that the injury, that the strength and support is around his full upper body to be able to handle what's a violent game, and so we're trying to simulate some of those things for him so that he has confidence to be able to do that. He had another great day. We were able to give him more. We got to push him a little bit more tomorrow as well."Dave Canales via Panthers.com
The Panthers' offensive line has endured significant upheaval this season. They've coped relatively well in challenging circumstances, but if Hunt can prove his fitness for this weekend's pivotal clash, the morale boost across the locker room will be immeasurable.
Carolina is in a win-or-go-home scenario, although that will change if the Atlanta Falcons beat the New Orleans Saints. That said, taking care of their own business is the only way to guarantee playoff football for the first time since 2017.
Hunt has been a driving force in the team's renaissance, becoming an inspirational presence both on and off the field. The Panthers desperately need that at Raymond James Stadium, but there must be complete conviction that his performance won't be rusty and that there is no risk of further damage from coming back too soon.
It remains a wait-and-see scenario, but there is a growing sense that Hunt will suit up. That has the scope to change everything.