Panthers place two on COVID reserve list. Carolina will be thin at CB and WR vs. Bucs
The Carolina Panthers likely won’t have cornerback Stephon Gilmore for the final game of the 2021 season.
Gilmore, who will be a free agent this offseason, was placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list Wednesday, along with wide receiver Shi Smith. Defensive end Yetur Gross-Matos was added to the list on Wednesday and defensive tackle Phil Hoskins remains on the list from last week.
Gilmore likely was not going to play Sunday, and it might have been his final game in a Panthers uniform. He had been dealing with a groin injury he suffered in Week 16 that was considered day-to-day, but he did not practice on Wednesday.
The Panthers traded a sixth-round pick for Gilmore earlier this season.
Though Smith hasn’t played much this season, his absence is a concern. The Panthers are already thin at wide receiver with rookie Terrace Marshall going on IR, and wide receiver Robby Anderson missed practice Wednesday and Thursday with a quad injury. Rhule said Anderson would be a game-time decision.
Sunday’s game would have afforded Smith the opportunity to get more playing time.
The Panthers are 5-11 and have started playing their rookies more often to give them a chance. Smith has six catches for 104 yards this season. He caught a 63-yard pass two weeks ago when the Panthers faced the Bucs in Week 16.
On Sunday, they play again, but Smith likely won’t be available.
The only healthy receivers on the roster currently are DJ Moore, Brandon Zylstra and Alex Erickson. The Panthers will likely elevate one of their practice squad wide receivers — Keith Kirkwood, Willie Snead and C.J. Saunders.
