Brown suffered injury during Sunday’s loss at New Orleans

The Carolina Panthers’ 2024 season took an alarming turn in their opening game, a 47-10 blowout loss to the New Orleans Saints. Adding to their struggles, star defensive tackle Derrick Brown suffered a potentially season-ending knee injury, as confirmed by NFL insiders. Head coach Dave Canales addressed the situation Monday, noting that Brown’s meniscus injury will require surgery, sidelining him for an extended period, if not the entire season.

Brown, a cornerstone of the Panthers’ defense, had just signed a four-year, $96 million contract extension earlier this spring. Fresh off a 2023 season where he set a record for the most tackles by a defensive tackle with 103, Brown was expected to play a critical role in anchoring the defensive front. However, Canales emphasized that while losing a player of Brown’s caliber is a significant blow, the team must move forward.

“He’s one of our best players,”Canales said. “At the same time, we encourage [to whoever is playing] go in with great technique and just do your job. We don’t need you to make the special plays that Derrick makes. Just do your job. That’s the truth of it. If you play team football with a bunch of guys you can have success.”

The timing of Brown’s injury remains unclear, though he played nearly every defensive snap in the game. Canales acknowledged the unpredictable nature of injuries, particularly for players in the trenches. “It’s a physical game,” he said. “When you play interior, there’s a lot of funky positions you get into.”

Brown, the seventh overall pick in the 2020 draft, has been a model of consistency, missing only one game in his first four seasons with the Panthers. His absence now leaves a gaping hole in Carolina’s defensive front, which had already seen the departure of star pass rusher Brian Burns in an offseason trade. Players like A’Shawn Robinson and Shy Tuttle will now be tasked with stepping up, though the team is thin at the position and may need to make roster moves to address the depth issue.

Among the potential replacements is second-year player LaBryan Ray, but Canales and general manager Dan Morgan will likely explore external options as well. Still, the loss of Brown stings, not only because of his physical presence but also due to the leadership he brings to the field.

While the Panthers await the final decision on Brown’s surgery, the team is already bracing for life without their defensive stalwart. For Carolina, already reeling from a devastating opening-day loss, the path forward just became even more challenging.