Carolina Panthers coach Dave Canales revealed that rookie pass rusher Nic Scourton's injury is more serious than the team initially thought. He is expected to miss significant time after suffering a collapsed lung during practice on Thursday, ESPN's Adam Schefter reported on Saturday.
Scourton, who was selected by the Panthers in the second round of the 2025 NFL draft, showed promise early in training camp before the setback.
The severity of Scourton's injury means he will undergo treatment and a recovery period that could sideline him for several weeks. The team will take all necessary precautions to ensure his full recovery.
"It was a very physical play," Canales said. "It was presenting like a heat exhaustion, because he was having trouble breathing. He was getting tired and all that, so we kind of cooled him down we couldn't get him to respond good enough to where we felt comfortable about putting him back into practice."
The Carolina Panthers moved up six spots (No. 57 to No. 51) in a trade with the Denver Broncos to select Scourton in the draft in April. The organization has a high valuation of the rookie. Now, questions arise about how the Panthers will adjust their defensive line rotation in his absence.