Panthers come out of Atlanta with key injuries, too

The injury bug is finally coming for the Carolina Panthers.

After a long season of relative health, Carolina came out of another game with concerns.

Running back Fozzy Whittaker left the game with a sprained right foot and was in a protective walking boot after Carolina’s 20-13 loss to Atlanta. Whittaker was seeing more playing time in place of Jonathan Stewart, who suffered a foot sprain two weeks ago.

Safety Kurt Coleman also had a walking boot on his left foot, though it’s unclear what his injury is.

If Coleman has to miss any time, Tre Boston would take over his position.

As for the running back position, the Panthers are feeling the sting. Rookie Cameron Artis-Payne played well by averaging nearly 10 yards per carry on Sunday, but the Panthers don’t feel he can carry the load for a full game.

It’s possible Stewart will return for next week’s game against the Buccaneers, because the Panthers don’t want to roll into a must-win game with Artis-Payne and Brandon Wegher as their two tailbacks.

This story was originally published December 27, 2015 at 7:55 PM with the headline "Panthers come out of Atlanta with key injuries, too."