Sunday marked a rude awakening for the Carolina Panthers, whose first action following a 2-15 finish in 2023 was a 47-10 blowout loss to the rival New Orleans Saints. The start of the Panthers' 2024 season may have gotten worse, too, with Pro Bowl defensive lineman Derrick Brown suffering a season-ending knee injury, the team announced on Tuesday.
Brown hurt his knee against the Saints, and the Panthers' initial fear he could be lost for the remainder of the year has been realized. Prior to the Panthers announcement, NFL Media also reported that Brown's injury will require meniscus surgery.
The 26-year-old Brown just signed a four-year, $96 million contract extension with Carolina this spring. Fresh off his first Pro Bowl nod in 2023, when he logged a career-high 103 tackles and 15 tackles for loss, he's widely considered one of the Panthers' best players, and an anchor for the defensive front.
Up to this point, the former top-10 draft pick had also been a model of durability for the Panthers, missing just one game in his first four seasons with the club. His absence leaves A'Shawn Robinson and Shy Tuttle as the top interior defenders for Carolina, which also said goodbye to No. 1 pass rusher Brian Burns via trade this offseason.
