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Deadspin | Mavs deny JJ Redick’s claim of incorrect MRI on Austin Reaves’ injury Mar 31, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Austin Reaves (15) heads down court after a three-point basket in the second half against the Cleveland Cavaliers at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images The Dallas Mavericks have denied Lakers coach JJ Redick’s claim that their medical staff initially performed an MRI on the wrong part of Austin Reaves’ body, leading to a second MRI and a delayed diagnosis of his oblique injury. Reaves, Los Angeles’ second-leading scorer at 23.3 points per game, had the MRI with the Mavericks’ staff over the weekend after sustaining a Grade 2 left oblique strain in the Lakers’ April 2 loss at Oklahoma City. “Our medical team followed standard imaging protocols based on the information provided at the time,” the Mavericks said in a statement shared with multiple outlets. “There was no error in the scan performed.” The Lakers announced on Saturday that Reaves will miss at least the remainder of the regular season. ESPN reported he’s expected to be sidelined four-to-six weeks. “I don’t know where the chain of command lies with Dallas imaging, but they scanned the wrong area,” Redick said after a team practice in Dallas on Saturday. “So (the mistake was) not on our end. We made it explicit what was supposed to be scanned, but they scanned the wrong area.” The Lakers (50-28) are also without league-leading scorer Luka Doncic (33.5 ppg) for the remainder of the regular season due to a Grade 2 hamstring strain with third-leading scorer (and 22-time All-Star) LeBron James (20.8 ppg) sidelined for Tuesday’s game vs. Oklahoma City due to management of his lingering left foot injury. –Field Level Media #Deadspin #Mavs #deny #Redicks #claim #incorrect #MRI #Austin #Reaves #injury

Deadspin | Mavs deny JJ Redick’s claim of incorrect MRI on Austin Reaves’ injury
Deadspin | Mavs deny JJ Redick’s claim of incorrect MRI on Austin Reaves’ injury Mar 31, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Austin Reaves (15) heads down court after a three-point basket in the second half against the Cleveland Cavaliers at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images The Dallas Mavericks have denied Lakers coach JJ Redick’s claim that their medical staff initially performed an MRI on the wrong part of Austin Reaves’ body, leading to a second MRI and a delayed diagnosis of his oblique injury. Reaves, Los Angeles’ second-leading scorer at 23.3 points per game, had the MRI with the Mavericks’ staff over the weekend after sustaining a Grade 2 left oblique strain in the Lakers’ April 2 loss at Oklahoma City. “Our medical team followed standard imaging protocols based on the information provided at the time,” the Mavericks said in a statement shared with multiple outlets. “There was no error in the scan performed.” The Lakers announced on Saturday that Reaves will miss at least the remainder of the regular season. ESPN reported he’s expected to be sidelined four-to-six weeks. “I don’t know where the chain of command lies with Dallas imaging, but they scanned the wrong area,” Redick said after a team practice in Dallas on Saturday. “So (the mistake was) not on our end. We made it explicit what was supposed to be scanned, but they scanned the wrong area.” The Lakers (50-28) are also without league-leading scorer Luka Doncic (33.5 ppg) for the remainder of the regular season due to a Grade 2 hamstring strain with third-leading scorer (and 22-time All-Star) LeBron James (20.8 ppg) sidelined for Tuesday’s game vs. Oklahoma City due to management of his lingering left foot injury. –Field Level Media #Deadspin #Mavs #deny #Redicks #claim #incorrect #MRI #Austin #Reaves #injuryMar 31, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Austin Reaves (15) heads down court after a three-point basket in the second half against the Cleveland Cavaliers at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

The Dallas Mavericks have denied Lakers coach JJ Redick’s claim that their medical staff initially performed an MRI on the wrong part of Austin Reaves’ body, leading to a second MRI and a delayed diagnosis of his oblique injury.

Reaves, Los Angeles’ second-leading scorer at 23.3 points per game, had the MRI with the Mavericks’ staff over the weekend after sustaining a Grade 2 left oblique strain in the Lakers’ April 2 loss at Oklahoma City.

“Our medical team followed standard imaging protocols based on the information provided at the time,” the Mavericks said in a statement shared with multiple outlets. “There was no error in the scan performed.”


The Lakers announced on Saturday that Reaves will miss at least the remainder of the regular season. ESPN reported he’s expected to be sidelined four-to-six weeks.

“I don’t know where the chain of command lies with Dallas imaging, but they scanned the wrong area,” Redick said after a team practice in Dallas on Saturday. “So (the mistake was) not on our end. We made it explicit what was supposed to be scanned, but they scanned the wrong area.”

The Lakers (50-28) are also without league-leading scorer Luka Doncic (33.5 ppg) for the remainder of the regular season due to a Grade 2 hamstring strain with third-leading scorer (and 22-time All-Star) LeBron James (20.8 ppg) sidelined for Tuesday’s game vs. Oklahoma City due to management of his lingering left foot injury.

–Field Level Media

#Deadspin #Mavs #deny #Redicks #claim #incorrect #MRI #Austin #Reaves #injury

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Mar 31, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Austin Reaves (15) heads down court after a three-point basket in the second half against the Cleveland Cavaliers at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

The Dallas Mavericks have denied Lakers coach JJ Redick’s claim that their medical staff initially performed an MRI on the wrong part of Austin Reaves’ body, leading to a second MRI and a delayed diagnosis of his oblique injury.

Reaves, Los Angeles’ second-leading scorer at 23.3 points per game, had the MRI with the Mavericks’ staff over the weekend after sustaining a Grade 2 left oblique strain in the Lakers’ April 2 loss at Oklahoma City.

“Our medical team followed standard imaging protocols based on the information provided at the time,” the Mavericks said in a statement shared with multiple outlets. “There was no error in the scan performed.”

The Lakers announced on Saturday that Reaves will miss at least the remainder of the regular season. ESPN reported he’s expected to be sidelined four-to-six weeks.

“I don’t know where the chain of command lies with Dallas imaging, but they scanned the wrong area,” Redick said after a team practice in Dallas on Saturday. “So (the mistake was) not on our end. We made it explicit what was supposed to be scanned, but they scanned the wrong area.”

The Lakers (50-28) are also without league-leading scorer Luka Doncic (33.5 ppg) for the remainder of the regular season due to a Grade 2 hamstring strain with third-leading scorer (and 22-time All-Star) LeBron James (20.8 ppg) sidelined for Tuesday’s game vs. Oklahoma City due to management of his lingering left foot injury.

–Field Level Media

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Suryavanshi vs Bumrah — Much-awaited duel offers expected fireworks in Royal win against Mumbai Indians <div id="content-body-70837310" itemprop="articleBody"><p>Everybody knew. The moment the revised playing conditions for the rain-affected Rajasthan Royals-Mumbai Indians clash confirmed that only one bowler per team can bowl three overs, everybody nodded in agreement. Jasprit Bumrah is going to get three.</p><p>Why bother thinking?</p><p>The one other thing everyone knew, or rather expected, was the coming together of Bumrah and Vaibhav Suryavanshi.</p><p>The two had never faced off in a competitive setting. It was an intriguing prospect – this fearless teenage batter, taking the world by storm, going up against the most-feared bowler of this generation.</p><p>There was also a sense of curiosity. Would Suryavanshi treat the pace ace with reverence? Would Bumrah go extra hard at the 15-year-old?</p><p>It could have helped Suryavanshi’s cause that this was an 11-over shootout. But would we have played any differently if this were a longer game? Highly doubtful.</p><p>And after all the narrative-building, Bumrah and Suryavanshi did square off in the second over, right after Yashasvi Jaiswal had ripped apart Deepak Chahar in a 22-run over.</p><p>In all fairness, Bumrah’s first offering to Suryavanshi was a gift – an overpitched delivery that was in the batter’s hitting arc.</p><div class="inline_embed article-block-item"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">It’s not raining… it’s raining sixes! ☔</p><p>Vaibhav Suryavanshi takes on Jasprit Bumrah and sends it into the stands! 🚀<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RRvMI?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RRvMI</a><a href="https://t.co/tXEZWUihe7">pic.twitter.com/tXEZWUihe7</a></p>— Sportstar (@sportstarweb) <a href="https://twitter.com/sportstarweb/status/2041561199306002784?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 7, 2026</a></blockquote></div><p>But what can’t be missed was the Royals’ opener’s intent. He had already shuffled into his hitting position. There was nothing half-measured about his much-talked-about bat swing. The contact and follow-through fell in place. The ball soared over the long-on fence and deep into the stands, while Suryavanshi looked on unbothered.</p><p><b>RELATED: <a href="https://sportstar.thehindu.com/cricket/ipl/vaibhav-suryavanshi-jasprit-bumrah-two-sixes-first-over-maiden-face-off-rr-vs-mi-rajasthan-royals-mumbai-indians/article70835636.ece#google_vignette" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Vaibhav Suryavanshi smashes Bumrah for two sixes in one over in first-ever meeting</a></b></p><p>As the crowd erupted in applause, Bumrah walked back to his run-up mark with a smile on his face. Was it amusement or bewilderment? Or was it helplessness? One can never be sure.</p><p>Nevertheless, Bumrah’s reaction can probably be observed as an amalgamation of our collective thoughts on Suryavanshi.</p><p>It has been proven beyond doubt that he is an inexplicable talent who poses more questions than answers for all stakeholders.</p><p>As a teammate, a coach or a captain, how do you nurture his prodigious talents while insulating him from innumerable treasures and boundless fame that await him?</p><p>As an opponent, what do you do against this batter who strikes the ball with such relentless ferocity and could do it for two more decades?</p><p>As a viewer, how do you comprehend the fact that a kid born in 2011 is dominating world-class bowlers, tampering with one’s own sense of time?</p><p>Let’s keep the existential questions aside for now and circle back to the Bumrah-Suryavanshi mini-battle. Having been swatted away for a six, the MI pacer went to his go-to option for the second ball – a back-of-a-length off-cutter into the batter’s body.</p><p>Suryavanshi, though, was ready for it. He had put himself inside the line and then safely tucked it to the legside for a single – a bit of ‘smart and sensible’ cricket for the traditionalists.</p><p>Jaiswal would immediately return the strike to Suryavanshi. If there was a feeling that the teenager wasn’t going to take any further risks against Bumrah, it was to be proven wrong immediately.</p><p>Bumrah stuck to the same hard length. In fact, he had shifted the line further away from the stumps. But Suryavanshi was ready for it, again. A swivel pull, and the ball zooms over square leg for another six.</p><p>This was already in the realms of ridiculousness. This is ‘The Bumrah.’ And this 15-year-old is going after him without a care in the world.</p><p><b>ALSO READ | <a href="https://sportstar.thehindu.com/cricket/ipl/ipl-2026-rajasthan-royals-vs-mumbai-indians-rr-vs-mi-coach-mahela-jayawardene-comments-on-loss/article70836997.ece" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">IPL 2026: ‘Difference was four sixes … we couldn’t find that,’ laments MI coach Jayawardene after loss</a></b></p><p>There were two more deliveries in this match-up. Both full-tosses. Both presumably attempted yorkers. Almost bafflingly, Suryavanshi failed to put both those easier pickings away.</p><p>And in the end, we get five balls from this battle – two sixes, one single and two dot balls. Dramatic enough to write about.</p><p>So we go back to the bigger question. What do you do with Suryavanshi? At least for one part, it is safe to assume that he has found himself in the right place.</p><p>Rajasthan Royals has, so far, encouraged and set him up to play his natural style of cricket. The team also has, through its High Performance Centre, allowed the youngster to train at an unrivalled standard, both in terms of quality and quantity.</p><p>For the other parts of the Suryavanshi conundrum, we will just have to wait and watch as it unfolds.</p><p class="publish-time" id="end-of-article">Published on Apr 08, 2026</p></div><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> #Suryavanshi #Bumrah #Muchawaited #duel #offers #expected #fireworks #Royal #win #Mumbai #Indians

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Badminton Asia Championships 2026: Ayush Shetty stuns World No. 7 Li Shi Feng to enter round of 16 <div id="content-body-70837318" itemprop="articleBody"><p>India’s rising star Ayush Shetty delivered a statement performance, upsetting World No. 7 and Hong Kong Open 2025 champion Li Shi Feng of China in straight games, 21-13, 21-16.</p><p>Despite the former World No. 3 Li’s strong start in both games, the Indian youngster dominated the later stages to advance to the pre-quarters. In the opening game, Ayush fought back early to level at 4-4, with Li holding a slight edge until 7-7. From there, the US Open 2025 champion seized control, overpowering the home favourite to take the game 21-13.</p><p><b>ALSO READ | <a href="https://sportstar.thehindu.com/badminton/badminton-asia-championships-2026-indian-results-mixed-doubles-rohan-ruthvika-ashith-amrutha-dhruv-tanisha/article70834226.ece" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Badminton Asia Championships 2026: Dhruv-Tanisha pair keeps Indian challenge alive in mixed doubles</a></b></p><p>The second game followed a similar pattern, with Li initially applying pressure and leading into the mid-phase.</p><p>Ayush, however drew level multiple times before shifting gears at 13-13. The youngster surged ahead with six consecutive points, closing out the match 21-16 in 51 minutes.</p><p class="publish-time" id="end-of-article">Published on Apr 08, 2026</p></div> #Badminton #Asia #Championships #Ayush #Shetty #stuns #World #Shi #Feng #enter

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Deadspin | Belgium hire coach Mark van Bommel to replace Rudi Garcia June 14, 2010; Johannesburg, SOUTH AFRICA; Netherlands midfielder Mark van Bommel (6) talks with midfielder Wesley Sneijder (10) during Group E play against Denmark in the 2010 World Cup at Soccer City Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tim Groothuis/Witters Sport via Imagn Images Mark van Bommel was named the new head coach of Belgium’s national team. van Bommel will take over on August 15 and lead the team through the 2028 European Championship, joined by assistant coaches Boudewijn Zenden, Maarten Martens and Reinier Robbemond, per a Belgium statement released Friday. The 49-year-old replaces Rudi Garcia, who departed the role this week at the end of his 18-month contract, having led Belgium to the 2026 World Cup quarterfinals, where they were knocked out by eventual winner Spain. The loss ended an unbeaten run of 18 matches stretching back to a 3-1 loss to Ukraine in March 2025. A former Bayern Munich and Barcelona midfielder, Van Bommel has been out of a head coaching spot since 2023-24, his second season at the helm of Belgian club Royal Antwerp. In his debut campaign, he led the club to its first league title in 66 years. van Bommel also had coaching stints at VfL Wolfsburg (2021) and PSV Eindhoven (2018-19). He also served in assistant coaching positions for Saudia Arabia (2015-17) and Australia (2018). “Belgium has outstanding players and enormous potential. Together with my coaching staff, we want to build a team that is disciplined, ambitious and brave enough to compete with the very best,” Van Bommel said. The Dutch native takes over a Belgium side currently ranked eighth in FIFA’s world rankings. He will be asked to end Belgium’s disappointing run of early exits at the next European Championships, where they have not progressed beyond the quarterfinals since the 1996 expansion. In the two most recent tournaments, the team has lost in the round of 16 and the quarterfinals. “Success is never guaranteed, but hard work, honesty and commitment are,” Van Bommell said.” We will give everything to help this team improve every day and make the Belgian people proud. I am looking forward to meeting the players, the staff and the supporters, and beginning this new chapter together.” –Field Level Media #Deadspin #Belgium #hire #coach #Mark #van #Bommel #replace #Rudi #GarciaJune 14, 2010; Johannesburg, SOUTH AFRICA; Netherlands midfielder Mark van Bommel (6) talks with midfielder Wesley Sneijder (10) during Group E play against Denmark in the 2010 World Cup at Soccer City Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tim Groothuis/Witters Sport via Imagn Images

Mark van Bommel was named the new head coach of Belgium’s national team.

van Bommel will take over on August 15 and lead the team through the 2028 European Championship, joined by assistant coaches Boudewijn Zenden, Maarten Martens and Reinier Robbemond, per a Belgium statement released Friday.

The 49-year-old replaces Rudi Garcia, who departed the role this week at the end of his 18-month contract, having led Belgium to the 2026 World Cup quarterfinals, where they were knocked out by eventual winner Spain. The loss ended an unbeaten run of 18 matches stretching back to a 3-1 loss to Ukraine in March 2025.

A former Bayern Munich and Barcelona midfielder, Van Bommel has been out of a head coaching spot since 2023-24, his second season at the helm of Belgian club Royal Antwerp. In his debut campaign, he led the club to its first league title in 66 years.


van Bommel also had coaching stints at VfL Wolfsburg (2021) and PSV Eindhoven (2018-19). He also served in assistant coaching positions for Saudia Arabia (2015-17) and Australia (2018).

“Belgium has outstanding players and enormous potential. Together with my coaching staff, we want to build a team that is disciplined, ambitious and brave enough to compete with the very best,” Van Bommel said.

The Dutch native takes over a Belgium side currently ranked eighth in FIFA’s world rankings. He will be asked to end Belgium’s disappointing run of early exits at the next European Championships, where they have not progressed beyond the quarterfinals since the 1996 expansion. In the two most recent tournaments, the team has lost in the round of 16 and the quarterfinals.

“Success is never guaranteed, but hard work, honesty and commitment are,” Van Bommell said.” We will give everything to help this team improve every day and make the Belgian people proud. I am looking forward to meeting the players, the staff and the supporters, and beginning this new chapter together.”

–Field Level Media

#Deadspin #Belgium #hire #coach #Mark #van #Bommel #replace #Rudi #Garcia">Deadspin | Belgium hire coach Mark van Bommel to replace Rudi Garcia June 14, 2010; Johannesburg, SOUTH AFRICA; Netherlands midfielder Mark van Bommel (6) talks with midfielder Wesley Sneijder (10) during Group E play against Denmark in the 2010 World Cup at Soccer City Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tim Groothuis/Witters Sport via Imagn Images Mark van Bommel was named the new head coach of Belgium’s national team. van Bommel will take over on August 15 and lead the team through the 2028 European Championship, joined by assistant coaches Boudewijn Zenden, Maarten Martens and Reinier Robbemond, per a Belgium statement released Friday. The 49-year-old replaces Rudi Garcia, who departed the role this week at the end of his 18-month contract, having led Belgium to the 2026 World Cup quarterfinals, where they were knocked out by eventual winner Spain. The loss ended an unbeaten run of 18 matches stretching back to a 3-1 loss to Ukraine in March 2025. A former Bayern Munich and Barcelona midfielder, Van Bommel has been out of a head coaching spot since 2023-24, his second season at the helm of Belgian club Royal Antwerp. In his debut campaign, he led the club to its first league title in 66 years. van Bommel also had coaching stints at VfL Wolfsburg (2021) and PSV Eindhoven (2018-19). He also served in assistant coaching positions for Saudia Arabia (2015-17) and Australia (2018). “Belgium has outstanding players and enormous potential. Together with my coaching staff, we want to build a team that is disciplined, ambitious and brave enough to compete with the very best,” Van Bommel said. The Dutch native takes over a Belgium side currently ranked eighth in FIFA’s world rankings. He will be asked to end Belgium’s disappointing run of early exits at the next European Championships, where they have not progressed beyond the quarterfinals since the 1996 expansion. In the two most recent tournaments, the team has lost in the round of 16 and the quarterfinals. “Success is never guaranteed, but hard work, honesty and commitment are,” Van Bommell said.” We will give everything to help this team improve every day and make the Belgian people proud. I am looking forward to meeting the players, the staff and the supporters, and beginning this new chapter together.” –Field Level Media #Deadspin #Belgium #hire #coach #Mark #van #Bommel #replace #Rudi #Garcia

The Carolina Panthers are trying to establish their legitimacy in 2026. NFC South winners by default last season with a paltry 8-9 record, it took layers of tiebreakers to settle the pecking order in the division between Carolina, Tampa, and Atlanta. Sure, the Panthers almost knocked off the Rams in the Wild Card round, but nobody remembers or cares about that now — its all about this season, and that made the start to the Panthers’ campaign critical to establish themselves as a team to watch.

If you needed a cherry on top then Pro Bowl cornerback Jaycee Horn is also hurt, recovering from a foot injury he sustained while running which required stitches. He’s expected to return soon, but it’s just a little extra salt in the wound.

The trench issues are the real story here, and it’s a mess for Carolina. If there was one position on either side of the ball they couldn’t sustain injuries it was EDGE rusher and offensive tackle — now they’re in flux at both positions. The injury to Scourton is a massive bummer for Panthers fans, but it’s more or less a continuation of the pass rush issues they’ve faced for several years now. The absenses at offensive tackle is the real problem. Bryce Young has been without any form of continuity on the line since arriving in Carolina, and this promised to be the first year he’d have some semblance of reliability — that’s gone now, and will put even more pressure on the QB entering his fourth year.

Carolina has just under two weeks before they face the Cardinals in the NFL Hall of Fame game. It’s hardly something to get too worked up over, but there is a reality where the Panthers need to show some fight in that game, at least from the rotational players who are now getting called up, otherwise, we might be sounding the alarm bells about this team in August.

#Panthers #nightmare #opening #training #camp">The Panthers had a nightmare opening to training camp The Carolina Panthers are trying to establish their legitimacy in 2026. NFC South winners by default last season with a paltry 8-9 record, it took layers of tiebreakers to settle the pecking order in the division between Carolina, Tampa, and Atlanta. Sure, the Panthers almost knocked off the Rams in the Wild Card round, but nobody remembers or cares about that now — its all about this season, and that made the start to the Panthers’ campaign critical to establish themselves as a team to watch.They got attention for all the wrong reasons on Thursday. Second-year linebacker Nic Scourton went down early in the first practice on a non-contact injury, which was later revealed to be a torn ACL that will end his season before it began. Largely overlooked in the greater discussion of the NFL, Scourton had a huge rookie campaign for the Panthers that saw him finish with 47 tackles, 5.0 sacks, and 4 QB hits in only eight starts. Doing more than enough to earn playing time, Scourton was expected to take a massive step in his second year across from free agent Jaelan Phillips, whom Carolina spent big money on in free agency to bolster their pass rush.Now that dream is over, but that wasn’t the only bad news out of Charlotte this week. Veteran right tackle Taylor Moton was diagnosed with a blood clot in his lung that will lead to him starting the season on the PUP list, with the tentative plan to have rookie Monroe Freeling take over the spot in his absence. This exacerbates issues along the offensive line, with the Panthers still waiting to see when left tackle Ikem Ekwonu can return to action as he recovers from a ruptured patellar tendon he suffered in the playoffs. It’s expected that Ekwonu will suit up “at some point this season” according to GM Dan Morgan, but there’s no real timeline on that possibility.If you needed a cherry on top then Pro Bowl cornerback Jaycee Horn is also hurt, recovering from a foot injury he sustained while running which required stitches. He’s expected to return soon, but it’s just a little extra salt in the wound.The trench issues are the real story here, and it’s a mess for Carolina. If there was one position on either side of the ball they couldn’t sustain injuries it was EDGE rusher and offensive tackle — now they’re in flux at both positions. The injury to Scourton is a massive bummer for Panthers fans, but it’s more or less a continuation of the pass rush issues they’ve faced for several years now. The absenses at offensive tackle is the real problem. Bryce Young has been without any form of continuity on the line since arriving in Carolina, and this promised to be the first year he’d have some semblance of reliability — that’s gone now, and will put even more pressure on the QB entering his fourth year.Carolina has just under two weeks before they face the Cardinals in the NFL Hall of Fame game. It’s hardly something to get too worked up over, but there is a reality where the Panthers need to show some fight in that game, at least from the rotational players who are now getting called up, otherwise, we might be sounding the alarm bells about this team in August. #Panthers #nightmare #opening #training #camp

If you needed a cherry on top then Pro Bowl cornerback Jaycee Horn is also hurt, recovering from a foot injury he sustained while running which required stitches. He’s expected to return soon, but it’s just a little extra salt in the wound.

The trench issues are the real story here, and it’s a mess for Carolina. If there was one position on either side of the ball they couldn’t sustain injuries it was EDGE rusher and offensive tackle — now they’re in flux at both positions. The injury to Scourton is a massive bummer for Panthers fans, but it’s more or less a continuation of the pass rush issues they’ve faced for several years now. The absenses at offensive tackle is the real problem. Bryce Young has been without any form of continuity on the line since arriving in Carolina, and this promised to be the first year he’d have some semblance of reliability — that’s gone now, and will put even more pressure on the QB entering his fourth year.

Carolina has just under two weeks before they face the Cardinals in the NFL Hall of Fame game. It’s hardly something to get too worked up over, but there is a reality where the Panthers need to show some fight in that game, at least from the rotational players who are now getting called up, otherwise, we might be sounding the alarm bells about this team in August.

#Panthers #nightmare #opening #training #camp">The Panthers had a nightmare opening to training camp

The Carolina Panthers are trying to establish their legitimacy in 2026. NFC South winners by default last season with a paltry 8-9 record, it took layers of tiebreakers to settle the pecking order in the division between Carolina, Tampa, and Atlanta. Sure, the Panthers almost knocked off the Rams in the Wild Card round, but nobody remembers or cares about that now — its all about this season, and that made the start to the Panthers’ campaign critical to establish themselves as a team to watch.

They got attention for all the wrong reasons on Thursday. Second-year linebacker Nic Scourton went down early in the first practice on a non-contact injury, which was later revealed to be a torn ACL that will end his season before it began. Largely overlooked in the greater discussion of the NFL, Scourton had a huge rookie campaign for the Panthers that saw him finish with 47 tackles, 5.0 sacks, and 4 QB hits in only eight starts. Doing more than enough to earn playing time, Scourton was expected to take a massive step in his second year across from free agent Jaelan Phillips, whom Carolina spent big money on in free agency to bolster their pass rush.

Now that dream is over, but that wasn’t the only bad news out of Charlotte this week. Veteran right tackle Taylor Moton was diagnosed with a blood clot in his lung that will lead to him starting the season on the PUP list, with the tentative plan to have rookie Monroe Freeling take over the spot in his absence. This exacerbates issues along the offensive line, with the Panthers still waiting to see when left tackle Ikem Ekwonu can return to action as he recovers from a ruptured patellar tendon he suffered in the playoffs. It’s expected that Ekwonu will suit up “at some point this season” according to GM Dan Morgan, but there’s no real timeline on that possibility.

If you needed a cherry on top then Pro Bowl cornerback Jaycee Horn is also hurt, recovering from a foot injury he sustained while running which required stitches. He’s expected to return soon, but it’s just a little extra salt in the wound.

The trench issues are the real story here, and it’s a mess for Carolina. If there was one position on either side of the ball they couldn’t sustain injuries it was EDGE rusher and offensive tackle — now they’re in flux at both positions. The injury to Scourton is a massive bummer for Panthers fans, but it’s more or less a continuation of the pass rush issues they’ve faced for several years now. The absenses at offensive tackle is the real problem. Bryce Young has been without any form of continuity on the line since arriving in Carolina, and this promised to be the first year he’d have some semblance of reliability — that’s gone now, and will put even more pressure on the QB entering his fourth year.

Carolina has just under two weeks before they face the Cardinals in the NFL Hall of Fame game. It’s hardly something to get too worked up over, but there is a reality where the Panthers need to show some fight in that game, at least from the rotational players who are now getting called up, otherwise, we might be sounding the alarm bells about this team in August.

#Panthers #nightmare #opening #training #camp

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