The Carolina Panthers probably didn’t have much fun trying to track down a kicker to start the 2021 season. Remember that sick carousel?
Well, unfortunately, they might have to hop back on again.
In the middle of Friday night’s preseason finale against the Buffalo Bills, Zane Gonzalez was carted off into locker room after slipping on the sideline while taking practice attempts. Today, head coach Matt Rhule said his kicker has sustained a “significant long-term injury” (to presumably his groin) and will likely be out for an extended period of time.
Now, the Panthers will have to sift through the open market—and whoever is added to it—in the coming days to find Gonzalez’s replacement.
“Coach [Chris Tabor] is working on it,” Rhule said when asked if they’ve already looked into different options. “There’s some guys out there that are accomplished kickers. There’s five or six teams where we have to wait and see their rosters and there’s some guys that are out there. Everything from probably working guys out to looking at who’s out there, we’re gonna have to attack it. Because, obviously, this is a major thing for us.”
Gonzalez is fresh off signing a two-year extension this offseason. He provided some much needed stability to what was a much too fluid situation last season, converting on 20 of his 22 field goal attempts and 22 of his 23 extra points tries.
