Taking on the reigning Super Bowl Champions at home, the Panthers suffered a major blow on their offense. As they went looking for a first down just a few seconds before the second half, their rookie TE Ja’Tavion Sanders got injured. While trying to catch a 10-yard pass from Bryce Young, Sanders found himself tackled by Chiefs CB Trent McDuffie. This led to him landing awkwardly on his neck while staying motionless for a few moments.

Although medical personnel quickly ran in to help Sanders, he wasn’t able to move until he got stabilized on a backboard. After placing him on a cart, Sanders made a quick gesture to the fans by putting his thumbs up. Seeing him respond on the back of a brutal neck injury must have offered some respite to the Bank of America Stadium. However, his injury didn’t bode any good news for them later on.

NFL insider Ian Rapoport shared a glaring update on Sanders moments later. Although he was questionable about getting back on the field considering the injury he suffered. Sanders was promptly ruled out while being taken to the nearest Charlotte hospital for further evaluation of his neck injury. Before getting ruled out, Sanders had caught three passes for 49 yards.

Coming out of Texas, Sanders was selected by the Panthers as their fourth-round 101st overall. Over the three seasons he spent with the Longhorns, Sanders recorded 99 receptions for 1,295 yards with seven TDs. He was the only bright spot for the Panthers, considering the way they have performed this season.

Going into today’s clash against the Chiefs, Sanders had 26 receptions for 253 yards and a TD. His absence from the offense would surely hurt Bryce Young, who was finally turning it around this season.

Ja’Tavion Sanders’ injury sends Bryce Young’s comeback story to drain

Before taking on the Chiefs, the Panthers were coming off consecutive victories for the first time this season. And each of those victories was on the back of Young’s sudden resurgence. After finishing his rookie season with a record of 2-14 and starting this season 0-2, Young was finally finding his feet in the last few weeks, “It’s just maybe being a little more expressive. I enjoy things in my own way. I know how things can look from the outside, but I’ve always enjoyed the game. I’ve always loved the game. I’ve always had fun playing.”

So what’s the secret behind Young helping the Panthers like he should have from the beginning? Well, it’s an improved O-line that has led to Young’s sack rate going down from 10% last season to 6.1% this season. Even their WR Adam Thielen was appreciative of the Panthers O-line, “Oh, yeah. The offensive line has given both quarterback confidence they can sit back there..be on time, go through their reads.”

Not only the sack rate but the opponent’s pressurised rate has also gone down significantly from 35% to 29.7% this season. As for Young, he has only been sacked six times since winning back his starting berth from Andy Dalton. While Young was on his way to proving his worth to the Panthers, his offensive target, Ja’Tavion Sanders’ injury will derail his comeback spree. For now, we can only hope that Sanders’ injury isn’t too bad, and he comes back sooner than expected.