The Carolina Panthers handed out quite a few vet days this morning—with the likes of receiver Adam Thielen, tight end Hayden Hurst and linebacker Shaq Thompson all taking practice off. But one vet had off due to a more painful reason.
As first reported by Joe Person of The Athletic, and later confirmed by Mike Kaye of The Charlotte Observer, wideout Damiere Byrd was held out of Sunday’s session due to a hamstring injury.
Panthers WR Damiere Byrd missed practice today with a hamstring injury, per league source. Severity TBD. Byrd has been having a strong camp in his return to Carolina.
— Joe Person (@josephperson) August 6, 2023
Byrd, who cracked into the NFL as an undrafted with the Panthers in 2015, previously spent four years in Charlotte. Over that time, he reeled in 12 receptions for 129 yards and a pair of touchdowns.
The speedy University of South Carolina product then went on to pick up stops with four different teams—the Arizona Cardinals, New England Patriots, Chicago Bears and Atlanta Falcons—over the next four campaigns. Byrd returned to the Panthers this spring on a one-year deal.
With Carolina looking for a punt returner to emerge, Byrd should be a contender for the 53-man roster—as long as his wings aren’t clipped.
