The Carolina Panthers-Atlanta Falcons matchup Sunday is important for a bevy of reasons, including the NFC South divisional race. Yes, it’s only Week 1, but every divisional matchup counts, especially how hotly contested this year’s race will be between the Panthers, Falcons, Buccaneers and Saints.
But the Panthers will be entering Sunday’s matchup possibly without several key players. On Friday, the Panthers ruled out veteran wide receiver D.J. Chark Jr. (hamstring) and have listed Adam Thielen (ankle) as questionable.
In addition to Chark, if Thielen were unable to make his debut in Carolina, that would leave the Panthers with four healthy receivers—Jonathan Mingo, Terrace Marshall Jr., Laviska Shenault Jr. and Ihmir Smith-Marsette—for Bryce Young’s NFL debut.
After parting with D.J. Moore in a blockbuster trade for the No. 1 overall pick, the Panthers need receiving targets for whoever their future quarterback was to be. While we now know that it’s Young, the Panthers moved quickly adding Thielen and Chark, to an already impressive list of additions that included Hayden Hurt and Miles Sanders, among others.
While none of these players were clearcut stars, it was enough depth additions to move the needle and provide Young with some weapons. Now, he may be without those weapons, mainly Chark, come Week 1 and potentially beyond.
Chark was drafted by the Jacksonville Jaguars with the 61st overall pick in the second round of the 2018 NFL Draft. Across four seasons with the Jaguars, the former LSU Tiger hauled in 147 receptions for 2,042 yards, with 15 receiving touchdowns. His best season with Jacksonville came in 2019, as he recorded career-highs in receptions (73), yards (1,008) and touchdowns (8).
After falling out of favor with the Jaguars, Chark joined Detroit on a one-year deal. Playing in 11 games (10 starts), Chark was nothing if not productive, as he hauled 30 receptions for 502 yards with three touchdowns. Unfortunately for Chark, he injured his surgically repaired ankle and was placed on injured reserve for a good chunk of the season.
We’ll have to see how Young fares with potentially two of his three starting wide receivers being out Sunday.
About Sam Neumann
Since the beginning of 2023, Sam has been a staff writer for Awful Announcing and The Comeback. A 2021 graduate of Temple University, Sam is a Charlotte native, who currently calls Greenville, South Carolina his home. He also has a love/hate relationship with the New York Mets and Jets.