Injury to Panthers kicker Zane Gonzalez not as serious as initially feared
.JPG "Carolina Panthers kicker Zane Gonzalez (5) is helped off the field after an apparent injury during practice before an NFL football game against the Buffalo Bills, Sunday, Dec. 19, 2021, in Orchard Park, N.Y. (AP Photo/Adrian Kraus )")
The quad injury that Carolina Panthers kicker Zane Gonzalez suffered Sunday was not as serious as initially feared.
Test results showed Gonzalez suffered a strained quad — and not a tear — before Sunday’s game against the Bills, a source with knowledge of the situation said. The Panthers will see how the leg responds this week before determining whether to shut him down, the source said.
A return is possible. Carolina hosts the Tampa Bay Buccaneers this Sunday.
That Gonzalez could return if he recovers is good news for the Panthers. Carolina has three games left, and Gonzalez had been near automatic at kicking this season.
He has made 20 of 22 field-goal attempts, including his last 17 tries. He is also 22 of 23 on extra-point attempts.
Gonzalez suffered the injury in pregame warmups before the Buffalo game as he was attempting a kick. He crumbled to the ground and had to be helped to the locker room by trainers.
The Panthers didn’t have another kicker on their roster. Punter Lachlan Edwards didn’t feel comfortable attempting kickoffs or field goals, so the Panthers had a mini tryout with some of their position players just minutes before the game began.
Wide receiver Brandon Zylstra said special teams coordinator Chase Blackburn came into the locker room after Gonzalez’s injury and asked whether anyone had experience with kicks.
Zylstra had served as an emergency kicker in high school and volunteered to do it for the Panthers. He became the first wide receiver in NFL history to attempt three kickoffs. He averaged 48.7 yards per kickoff.
The Panthers didn’t attempt a single field goal Sunday. They went for it on fourth down five times and converted only one. The Panthers lost to the Bills 31-14.
On Monday, Panthers coach Matt Rhule said general manager Scott Fitterer was looking for kickers who could be added to the roster in the interim.
