With the road to the playoffs completely shut down for the Carolina Panthers as they entered Week 18, their season finale against the (also eliminated) New Orleans Saints may have been perceived as a “meaningless” one. But you can’t tell Marquis Haynes Sr. that.
On Tuesday, the fifth-year defensive end revealed that he played in the closing contest despite being diagnosed with a grade 2 MCL sprain—an injury that can take multiple weeks to heal.
Lol I played that last game with a grade 2 mcl no way I was missing the whole last game wanted to be out there with my brothers
— Marquis Haynes (@MarquisHaynes98) January 10, 2023
Haynes Sr. played through 38 snaps in the 10-7 victory, one in which he and his brothers held New Orleans scoreless on nine of their 10 drives. Those 38 plays resulted in three tackles and a pressure for the veteran pass rusher.
That valiant effort by Haynes Sr. capped off what was a career year in 2022. The 29-year-old notched highs in sacks (5.0), quarterback hits (13), total tackles (23), tackles for a loss (seven) and passes defensed (four).
He also recorded his first NFL touchdown back in Week 3 against those very Saints. Haynes Sr. scooped up a fumble, made possible by linebacker Frankie Luvu, and returned the rock to the house for a 44-yard score.
