Panthers place offensive lineman on COVID list, DE Yetur Gross-Matos on injured reserve
The Carolina Panthers have placed their fourth player this season on the reserve/COVID-19 list. The team announced Friday afternoon that backup offensive lineman Tyler Larsen had been added to the list.
Larsen was missing from practice Thursday and Friday. Being placed on the COVID-19 list does not necessarily mean a player has tested positive. Players are also put on the list if they have been in close contact with someone who has tested positive for COVID-19.
“Since the very beginning, there’s a whole system, whole protocol set up so that if there is any issue (related to COVID-19) we can kind of break the link in the chain and make sure that between the contact tracing, between diligent use of masks, between daily testing, between all those things,” coach Matt Rhule said. “We’re following the protocols, and I think it’s really well done.”
The team was placed in intensive protocol after a Atlanta Falcons player, Marlon Davidson, was placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list following the team’s game in Atlanta. The Falcons also had an assistant coach test positive this week, prompting Atlanta to close the facility Thursday and reopen it Friday.
Larsen played five special team snaps against the Falcons and did not make direct contact with Davidson.
The Panthers have not put a player on a COVID-19 list since practice squad defensive back Natrell Jamerson was placed on the practice squad version of the list Sept. 9. Left guard Chris Reed tested positive for COVID-19 at the end of August and former Panthers defensive back Derrek Thomas was placed on the list Aug. 30.
Rookie defensive Yetur Gross-Matos was also placed on injured reserve with a high ankle sprain he suffered in the team’s win over the Falcons in Week 5.
Gross-Matos had missed one game earlier this season due to a concussion and also missed practice time with a non-COVID-19 illness.
“(Gross-Matos) needs to practice and play to become a better player. You can play well without practicing hard, but you can’t play better. We need him to play better, so we need him to practice,” Rhule said of the rookie missing time. “I walked in the weight room this morning, he’s in there, getting a full offseason lift. So I think in terms of his body, he’s going to get stronger during this time, because he can lift more often. And we hope that we’ll get him back at some point. We hate not having him now, but we’ll love having him with, you know, maybe five pounds of extra muscle and kind of running and fresh legs and all that maybe later in the season, depending on the extent to the injury and how long it takes.
“He’s had couple different things so far. But that sometimes happens for the young players. He (wasn’t) a redshirt player (at Penn State). He was three years of college, and he’s here. We’re going to take advantage of this time and try to get him as ready as we can for when he does come back.”
Players must remain on injured reserve for a minimum of three weeks, and there is no minimum number of players who can be taken off the list. There is no exact timetable for Gross-Matos’ return, but the Panthers hope to get him back this season.
The Panthers placed defensive tackle Kawann Short on injured reserve earlier this week with a season-ending shoulder injury. Surgery on his shoulder is expected to take place next week, Rhule said.
Injury report: Defensive end Brian Burns (concussion) does not have an injury status for Sunday’s game against the Bears and is expected to play. Cornerback Eli Apple (hamstring), cornerback Donte Jackson (toe), wide receiver Curtis Samuel (knee) and defensive tackle Zach Kerr (toe) are all questionable for Sunday’s game.
This story was originally published October 16, 2020 at 1:23 PM with the headline "Panthers place offensive lineman on COVID list, DE Yetur Gross-Matos on injured reserve."
