Panthers' Miserable Season Start Just Got Worse With Injury to Star Defender

The Carolina Panthers picked up where they left off in the 2023 season in their season opener on Sunday. In head coach Dave Canales' first game, the Panthers suffered an embarrassing 47-10 loss to the New Orleans Saints where they looked overmatched in all aspects of the game. This was the heaviest Week 1 loss in franchise history and their fourth-largest margin of defeat of all time.

However, the inexcusable blowout loss wasn't even the worst part of Sunday. Panthers fans woke up to the shocking news on Monday that star defender Derrick Brown has a potentially season-ending injury.

NFL News: Panthers DL Derrick Brown Suffers Potentially Season-Ending Injury

According to NFL Network's Tom Pelissero, Brown suffered a meniscus injury that will require surgery. There is no exact timeline as of now but that likely ends the Pro Bowl defender's season.

This is a shocking update as it wasn't clear when Brown suffered the injury. He played 60 of Carolina's 66 defensive snaps.

Even though Brown wasn't particularly effective in those snaps like the rest of his teammates, he has arguably been the Panthers' best player over the last two seasons. Earning his first Pro Bowl honors last year, the former first-round pick is coming off a 2023 campaign where he had a whopping 103 tackles, the most of any defensive lineman.

The former Auburn star signed a four-year, $96 million contract extension this past offseason and the Panthers were expecting him to be their star and leader on the defensive side of the ball.

This is a brutal loss for the Panthers who can't afford to lose quality players. Second-year player LaBryan Ray will likely get the nod to start in Brown's stead, but it will undoubtedly be a major downgrade for Carolina who already had the 30th-ranked defense in the league last year.

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