Panthers defensive tackle Dontari Poe suffered what appeared to be a serious injury in the second quarter of Sunday’s loss to the Saints. According to Ian Rapoport at NFL Network, it’s feared that Poe tore his quad, which would put him out for the rest of the season. He will undergo an MRI to confirm.
Carolina came into this year with as much interior defensive line depth as any team in the league. Injuries have depleted the group, though. Superstar Kawann Short only played two games early on before he was put on the injured reserve list with a shoulder issue.
While the Panthers still have solid DTs on the roster like Gerald McCoy, Vernon Butler and Kyle Love, none of them are really suited to take over for Poe at nose tackle. So, expect the team to pick somebody up this week if Poe is indeed done for the year.
Looking ahead, Poe has one year left on his contract. Carolina can save $10 million in cap room by cutting him before June 1, so there’s a decent chance we have seen him play his last game in a Panthers uniform.
