The Carolina Panthers’ competition at right guard has gone on without rookie Chandler Zavala. But according to head coach Frank Reich, that may change relatively soon.
On Tuesday, Reich was asked about this year’s fourth-round pick—who remains sidelined with a hamstring injury. He said Zavala is coming on strong in his recovery.
“Yeah, he’s making good progress,” he said. “Actually, I think he’s made really good progress in the last couple days. And man, we’re really eager to see him get back out there. Think that he can really help us. But we don’t wanna rush it. You gotta be smart.
“So, talkin’ to our medical team this morning—maybe start to see him out on the field doin’ a little something maybe later in the week or early next week. That’s all kinda . . . we’ll wait and see. But he is making good progress.”
With usual starting right guard Austin Corbett expected to miss the early portion of the 2023 campaign while healing up from a torn ACL, the spot is currently up for grabs. And while second-year hog molly Cade Mays seems to have the inside track on the job at the moment, Zavala may have a chance to make a run in due time.
