A loud and exciting environment at Ford Field quickly turned into a scary and solemn scene early in Week 5.
In the first quarter of Sunday’s matchup between the Carolina Panthers and the Detroit Lions, rookie left guard Chandler Zavala sustained what was later confirmed as a neck injury. The 24-year-old—who remained face down at the conclusion of a run—had to be tended to by trainers, loaded into a stretcher and carted off following a long pause in the action.
Buy Panthers TicketsZavala was, thankfully, able to give the crowd a thumbs up as he was transported off the field. The Panthers have since announced that Zavala is being taken to a hospital for further evaluation.
Chandler Zavala with a thumbs up as he is carted off. Encouraging sign. pic.twitter.com/28u76gEYPU
— Joe Person (@josephperson) October 8, 2023
Carolina selected Zavala in the fourth round of the 2023 NFL draft. After missing some time during the summer with a hamstring injury, the 114th overall pick went on to start in each of the team’s five regular-season outings.
Second-year lineman Cade Mays has come in as Zavala’s replacement.
