Panthers without key offensive starter due to shoulder injury
Starting left guard Damien Lewis was one of three starters who were ruled out ahead of Friday's preseason opener against the Cleveland Browns. Head coach Dave Canales would explain why after the game.
"He strained his shoulder in the joint practice, and wasn't able to finish that day. So we shut him down." Canales told reporters following the 30-10 loss. "He'll be week to week, just kinda as we evaluate his shoulder. It's something that he's gonna have to prove that he gets the strength back and all that stuff. So he's return-to-play for us."
Lewis joined the Panthers on a four-year, $53 million deal in the spring of 2024. He started in each of his 16 games and earned the highest overall offensive grade from Pro Football Focus (75.7) of his five-year career.
Canales was then asked if the shoulder strain could put Lewis' status for the regular-season opener in question.
"I hope not," Canales replied. "But again, they gave us a week-to-week deal on it. I've known D-Lew for a long time, and he finds his way back on the field. So I'm confident that he'll be able to do that."
Well, he did exactly that last season—when Lewis fought through a tear in his elbow. But despite the UCL injury, Lewis missed just one outing.This article originally appeared on Panthers Wire: Panthers G Damien Lewis could miss multiple weeks with shoulder injury
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