The Carolina Panthers have been using a ‘by committee’ approach since top wideout Kelvin Benjamin was lost for the season in training camp. Now they may need a subcommittee.
Receiver Jerricho Cotchery suffered a high ankle sprain in Sunday’s win over the Texans, coach Ron Rivera said Monday.
Cotchery was injured midway through the first quarter when tight end Ed Dickson fell on the back of his leg as he was blocking for receiver Philly Brown.
Cotchery couldn’t put any weight on his right foot when trainers helped him off the field, and he was eventually carted into the locker room. He made a surprising return early in the second quarter, but it was short-lived.
“He came back and played on it, then it got stiff, so we sat him down. If we had gotten into an emergency situation, he might have been able to come back. But at that point we just sat him down,” Rivera said.
Cotchery, who led Panthers’ receivers with four receptions in Week 1, finished Sunday with one catch for 11 yards in 11 snaps.
High ankle sprains, which affect ligaments on the inside of the ankle joint, regularly cost players multiple games. If Cotchery can’t play against the Saints in Week 3, Devin Funchess and Kevin Norwood may see an uptick in snaps and Carolina could promote Brenton Bersin from the practice squad.
“I don’t make the final call, but [Bersin] has done that in the past and has played that position in the past,” offensive coordinator Mike Shula said.
Cotchery has been remarkably durable in his 12-year career, playing in all but 15 of 178 games. The only game he’s missed since 2013 was when a hamstring kept him from facing his former teammates with the Steelers in Week 3 last year. So while the latest Panthers’ injury could cost them another wideout for multiple games, the team has some hope Cotchery could face the Saints.
“The high ankle sprain does tend to linger,” Rivera said. “But just the fact that he was able to come back and play on it like he did before it got stiff, the doctors feel that hopefully he’ll be ready to go this weekend.”
The Panthers are also hoping they’ll have linebacker Luke Kuechly this weekend, but it’s still too early to tell if he’ll be back.
When asked if he expects Kuechly to participate in non-contract drills when the Panthers return to practice on Wednesday, Rivera said:
“Yes, but he still has to go through the protocol because he hasn’t seen the independent as of yet.”
Kuechly watched Sunday’s win from inside the stadium. According to defensive coordinator Sean McDermott, his vantage point was from inside the training room.
“He wants to be out there but we come in at halftime and he’s there with the guys and what a great picture that was,” McDermott said. “He’s getting guys fired up and they’re responding. It’s leadership, it’s peer driven leadership. It’s a great quality.”