The Carolina Panthers have undergone some significant turmoil to begin the campaign. Most of it is their own doing, but the hits kept coming for head coach Dave Canales after an injury to one of the team's marquee signings in free agency.
Carolina's defense put together another abysmal performance in Week 1 against the Jacksonville Jaguars, especially against the run. This follows a concerning trend from the 2024 campaign, where Carolina gave up more than 3,000 rushing yards on the ground. These problems continuing wasn't what general manager Dan Morgan envisaged after he focused the team's primary investments on the defensive trenches this offseason.
One of those, defensive lineman Tershawn Wharton, left the game at EverBank Stadium after just 20 snaps. And now, Canales confirmed that he's set for a spell on the sidelines.
Carolina Panthers will be without Tershawn Wharton at the worst possible time
The Panthers confirmed that Wharton is expected to be out for around 2-to-4 weeks with a hamstring issue. This is the last thing defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero needed, especially with dual-threat quarterback Kyler Murray and running back James Conner next on the list for Carolina to overcome when they travel to the Arizona Cardinals in Week 2.
Wharton signed a three-year, $45.05 million deal with the Panthers that came with a $14.5 million signing bonus and $30.25 million guaranteed. They were hoping he could build on a career-best campaign with the Kansas City Chiefs, but this represents a bump in the road that must be navigated successfully. And he cannot be rushed back into action.
Hamstring injuries have a habit of flaring up again if they aren't given the correct time to heal. Wharton will be chomping at the bit to get back involved, but the Panthers must err on the side of caution until there is complete confidence. Until then, the onus is on others to fill the void more effectively than they managed to accomplish in Week 1.
Bobby Brown III, who was initially projected to slot in as the starting nose tackle, will probably get the nod. He also hobbled off briefly versus the Jaguars, but it was nothing to overly concern. Adding him to a front that also includes Derrick Brown and A'Shawn Robinson seems formidable, but they were gashed early and often as Jacksonville carved 200 yards on the ground.
Not having Wharton only adds to the myriad of problems for Evero to solve. And with pressure on the play-caller mounting, time is officially of the essence.