The Panthers have lost one of their top defenders for at least the next four weeks. The team announced that safety Jeremy Chinn has landed on injured reserve. Veteran Juston Burris was signed off the practice squad to take the open roster spot.
Chinn led all rookies with 117 tackles in 2020, and he ended up finishing second in Defensive Rookie of the Year voting. He followed that up with 107 tackles during his sophomore campaign, making him only the third player in franchise history to top 100 tackles in each of their first two seasons (along with Luke Kuechly and Jon Beason).
The 24-year-old started each of Carolina’s first four games this season, collecting 20 tackles and one sack. Pro Football Focus also graded him as one of the NFL’s best pass-rushing safeties this year. He appeared in only six snaps on Sunday before exiting the contest with a hamstring injury.
Chinn’s versatility will be hard to replace; besides safety, he’s also lined up at safety, linebacker, and in the slot this season. However, Burris at least provides six years of NFL experience, and the veteran even started 20 games for the Panthers over the past two years. He re-signed with the organization this offseason but was cut at the end of the preseason. He subsequently landed on the Panthers practice squad.
Well, this sucks. Especially when the Panther’s safety depth is horrible. Hope Jeremy gets better soon.