Second-year head coach Dave Canales felt like playing his starters in the preseason was a gamble worth taking. The Carolina Panthers started slowly last season, so the former Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive coordinator is hoping this gives his squad a better chance to enhance continuity before Week 1 against the Jacksonville Jaguars rolls around.
Injuries are all part of the business. The Panthers have had a relatively clean bill of health this offseason, with tight end Tommy Tremble coming off the physically unable to perform list following back surgery.
Aside from that, it's been relatively pleasing. That was until alarm bells rang throughout Bank of America Stadium when Princely Umanmielen left the field in their final warmup game against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Carolina Panthers get more good news after Princely Umanmielen's injury scare
There was no way that the rookie edge rusher was coming back into the game, regardless of whether he wanted to or not. This is the preseason, not the regular season. The Panthers have to err on the side of caution, especially considering Canales believes his squad has a real shot at mounting an NFC South title challenge in 2025.
Umanmielen blazed an early trail this summer, but the player faced an anxious wait after going down with a shoulder issue. The X-rays immediately after the game came back negative, and Canales gave another promising prognosis after an MRI.
The coach confirmed that Umanmielen was going to be fine. There is some soreness, but nothing to overly concern. Things could have been a lot worse, so this encouraging outlook should alleviate the fears of fans.
"He's fine. He banged up his shoulder a little bit. They did some testing, some imaging, and he's a little bit sore, but he's going to be fine."Dave Canales via Panthers.com
The Ole Miss product is expected to play a key rotational role in 2025. Umanmielen is coming for a starting spot eventually, but the Panthers will take things step by step. But with Nic Scourton recovering from a collapsed lung suffered in Carolina's joint practice with the Houston Texans, they need one of their rookies on the field heading into Week 1.
Carolina will give Umanmielen some time to rest in the coming days before preparations for the Jaguars ramp up. Barring any more setbacks, it would be surprising if he wasn't suited up for his full NFL debut.