How quad injury impacts Jeremy Chinn's future with the Carolina Panthers

How does Jeremy Chinn's quad injury impact his future with the Carolina Panthers before the 2023 trade deadline and beyond?

It's been a rough season on the injury front so far. The Carolina Panthers are dealing with numerous complications to key playing personnel - especially on defense - although there is hope that a few can make their respective returns after the bye week with some winnable games on the horizon.

This has been a big factor in the Panthers starting the season 0-6. However, there is plenty of blame to go around rather than focusing solely on how many established stars are in the treatment room.

Of course, such struggles also come with inevitable speculation about certain players moving on before the trade deadline. One name that came up during initial reports was Jeremy Chinn, who's seen his reps decrease significantly in Ejiro Evero's 3-4 base defense - a system that doesn't seem to fit his skill set effectively.

Carolina Panthers could still trade Jeremy Chinn despite injury

The fact Carolina started someone off the practice squad over Chinn in their secondary when Vonn Bell was ruled out at the Miami Dolphins should tell fans all they need to know. But unfortunately for the former second-round pick, he suffered a quad problem that could rule him out for up to six weeks according to multiple reports.

Although this is likely going to have ramifications on Carolina's ability to move Chinn before the deadline, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN reported that depending on the injury's severity, interest should remain to get a deal done for the Southern Illinois product if the price is right.

"Carolina isn't in full trade mode but will listen to inquiries on players considered available, including Marshall and safety Jeremy Chinn. Chinn suffered a quad injury that could complicate his trade market should the Panthers choose to try and move him, but it doesn't preclude a deal from getting done. He'll be back before the end of the season off an injury that ESPN's Adam Schefter reports will take up to six weeks to heal. The injury is non-surgical, and Chinn is considered a fast healer. There's interest in Chinn, who is in a contract year and only played 28 snaps the past two weeks. He wants to play."

- Jeremy Fowler, ESPN

This might be the case, but the Panthers won't be getting anything much in return for a rotational player who might be unavailable until after Thanksgiving. Couple this with the fact Chinn is out of contract next spring and it only makes it more difficult to extract maximum compensation.

The problem could also have lingering effects on Chinn's situation with the Panthers even if he does stick around beyond the trade deadline. He'll have only a few games to make an impact if the six-week prognosis is accurate and considering his lack of involvement up to now, some in positions of power may have made their minds up.

One must also not overlook Chinn's possible desire for a new challenge. The Panthers aren't a good fit anymore - which would have been an unbelievable notion after his rookie campaign - so the chance to reestablish himself in a different environment in a more expansive role would no doubt appeal at this juncture.

That's why anything would be better than nothing for Chinn where the front office is concerned. And with just over a week left until the all-important October 31 trade deadline date, fans won't have to wait much longer for developments.