It has been a brutal start to the season for the Carolina Panthers, and another tough blow has been announced. Former Seattle Seahawks and current Panthers guard, Damien Lewis, has injured his elbow and is likely to miss at least one game. Fortunately, it does not appear Lewis will be headed for the Injured Reserve list.
This news was broken by NFL Insider Jordan Schultz.
Sources: #Panthers starting LG Damien Lewis suffered a tear in his elbow and will likely miss at least one game. An IR stint is unlikely, and Lewis plans to eventually play through it.
But a tough loss for Carolina’s O-Line and QB Andy Dalton, as Lewis was performing really well… pic.twitter.com/T6GtOOU8sf
— Jordan Schultz (@Schultz_Report) September 25, 2024
Lewis was originally a third round pick by the Seahawks in the 2020 NFL draft and quickly became a starter in Seattle. During his four years in the Pacific Northwest, Lewis started all 63 possible games (regular season and playoffs included) for the Seahawks. His snap count tracker never dipped below 91% in any given season he was in Seattle.
Lewis was a reliable player along the line, and he parlayed it into a four-year deal worth $53 million with the Carolina Panthers this offseason. the Seahawks were never going to give Lewis such a contract, especially after general manager John Schneider’s comments about guards being overdrafted and overpaid. But considering how poor the interior offensive line has been, perhaps it’s fair to wonder if the Seahawks should have made a comprable offer.
Whether or not they should have is moot at this point. The reality is Lewis is now in Carolina, and his injury is going to hurt the Panthers’ chance at another upset. After benching quarterback Bryce Young, Carolina torched the Las Vegas Raiders 36-22 in Sin City last weekend. Now, they face the shockingly 0-3 Cincinnati Bengals desperate for a win.
If Andy Dalton (who became the first quarterback this season to throw for 300+ yards and 3 touchdowns last week) wants to pull off another upset, particularly one against his former team, he’s going to have to do so without one of his best offensive linemen.
