Carolina Panthers backup quarterback Matt Moore wore a large boot Thursday to protect his broken leg.
The injury, just above his ankle, happened in Carolina's game Aug.28 in Pittsburgh, but was diagnosed at first as a bone bruise.
“The X-ray we took last week and the X-ray we took yesterday; it's night and day,” Moore said.
About five minutes into practice Wednesday, Moore said he was throwing and felt a popping in the injured area.
“I had just been throwing, standing there,” he said. “We do our drills throwing into the buckets, stuff like that, and it was my first drop back; my very first one. And I hadn't done much up to that point.”
Moore stayed out there, watching practice. He said he definitely knew something else was wrong, that it wasn't just the diagnosed bone bruise.
“I had some bad thoughts in my head of what it would be and unfortunately, that's the way it turned out,” Moore said.
How long will he be out?
“I think we're going four-to-six weeks, and from what I'm told, it's kind of all on me,” he said. “There's really nothing you can do but let it heal itself, and let that bone kind of fuse back together. It all depends on how I feel as far as what I can do and when I can do it.”
Notes
Defensive tackle
Damione Lewis expects defensive end
Julius Peppers to have a big season, and thinks the team should “break their neck to keep him here” even though Peppers had only 21/2 sacks last season.
Peppers is in the final year of his contract. The Panthers have tried to re-sign him, but no agreement has been reached.
Lewis said most elite defensive ends have a down year at some point in their career.
“He's one of the greatest defensive players in the league today, and possibly, could be, all-time,” Lewis said of Peppers. Charles Chandler
Sunday's Panthers-Chargers season opener will be a reunion for Carolina defensive back
Quinton Teal and San Diego rookie receiver
Mike Tolbert, who were teammates at Coastal Carolina in 2006 when the Chanticleers won the Big South title and played in the NCAA's Football Championship Subdivision playoffs. Two other players from that Coastal team are in the NFL: Bengals receiver
Jerome Simpson and Chiefs quarterback
Tyler Thigpen.
David Scott
The Panthers will have two rookies in their starting lineup – safety
Charles Godfrey and offensive tackle
Jeff Otah – and another running back –
Jonathan Stewart – who will play a lot against the Chargers.
Godfrey says he's glad to play his first NFL game against a top-quality team like the Chargers, with perhaps the league's top player in running back LaDainian Tomlinson. “That's what you want,” he said. “They're one of the best teams in the league. (Tomlinson) is real shifty; everybody's got to get their hands on him.” D.S.
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