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The Detroit Lions will take on an injury-ravaged Carolina Panthers squad on Sunday night.
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The Panthers, led by third-year head man Dave Canales, have experienced a rash of injuries to start the season.
Sixth-year cornerback Jaycee Horn, a two-time Pro Bowler, tore his quad in the Panthers’ 21-18 loss to the Browns in Week 3. And it’s likely a season-ending injury for the star defensive back.
Fellow cornerback Mike Jackson also left the Week 3 affair with Cleveland early, after suffering a groin injury. His status is now uncertain for Carolina’s primetime tilt with Detroit this week.
On top of that, linebacker Devin Lloyd (calf) and wide receiver Xavier Legette (knee) were both inactives a week ago, and there’s no guarantee that either of them will play in Week 4.
According to NFL media, Panthers guard Damien Lewis will miss the next weeks with a UCL injury in his elbow.
#Panthers G Damien Lewis will be sidelined a few weeks with a UCL injury in his elbow, sources tell me and @RapSheet. Medical evaluations are still ongoing but Carolina’s best lineman is set to miss the game against the #Lions. A bye in Week 5 so maybe only one game missed. pic.twitter.com/epiduqajEc
– Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) September 29, 2026
And there’s more: the Panthers already know that they will be without both receiver Chris Brazzell (torn LCL) and outside linebacker Nic Scourton (torn ACL) for the remainder of the season.
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Plus, offensive tackles Ikem Ekwonu (patella tendon) and Taylor Moton (blood clot in lung) are both out indefinitely, along with defensive tackle Tershawn Wharton (neck) and running back Jonathon Brooks (core muscle).
It goes without saying those are some significant blows on both sides of the ball for Carolina going into its primetime matchup with Dan Campbell’s team.
“League wide, this is to be expected in the first four weeks. But, this is a lot on one team,” Canales expressed to reporters earlier this week. “I can’t really put my finger on it, but all of us, the directors of every department, we’re all putting our heads together, just to look at what’s going on, how we’re doing things. And we need to. We need to look at everything and just make sure the readiness is right and the preparation and recovery is right. So, there’s a balance of both. You can overdo it and you can underdo it, and we just want to be smack dab somewhere in that middle, in that sweetspot.”
The above injuries should give the Lions an upper hand when it comes to attacking the Panthers’ secondary and wreaking havoc against Carolina passer Bryce Young. Young, by the way, suffered a lower-body ailment against the Browns last week, but is expected to play Sunday night.
Kickoff for the Week 4 contest is set for 8:20 p.m. at Bank of America Stadium.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com/nfl/lions/onsi as Lions Are Facing Panthers Team Week 4 Dealing With Rash of Injuries.
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This story was originally published September 30, 2026 at 6:25 AM.