Panthers tight end Ja’Tavion Sanders was injured on the first play from scrimmage on Sunday and already is ruled out with an ankle injury.
Sanders was blocking for Rico Dowdle during an 11-yard run when the running back rolled into the back of Sanders’ leg. He required assistance from the team’s medical staff to get off the field.
After a brief visit to the sideline medical tent, Sanders got on a cart for transport to the X-ray room.
The Panthers opened the game with a three-tight-end set and now are down to two tight ends.
In his second season, Sanders has 29 catches for 190 yards and a touchdown.
The Panthers and Seahawks have exchanged punts to start the game.
The Panthers added rookie Tetairoa McMillan to their injury report with an illness on Sunday morning, but they won’t have to go without their top wide receiver against the Seahawks.
McMillan is active for their home game against the NFC West frontrunners. The first-round pick has 65 catches for 924 yards and seven touchdowns so far this season.
The Panthers will win the NFC South on Sunday with a win and a Buccaneers loss to the Dolphins. If they don’t get that combination of results, the two teams will okay for the division crown in Week 18.
Seahawks at Panthers
Seahawks: WR Hunter Renfrow, S Demani Richardson, DT Jared Harrison-Hunte, TE James Mitchell, DT Tershawn Wharton
Panthers: QB Jalen Milroe, CB Coby Bryant, LB Jared Ivey, T Charles Cross, G Bryce Cabledue, OL Mason Richman, DL Brandon Pili
Steelers at Browns
Steelers: QB Will Howard, WR Calvin Austin, RB Kaleb Johnson, CB Brandin Echols, CB James Pierre, G Isaac Seumalo, EDGE T.J. Watt, DL Logan Lee
Browns: OL Jeremiah Byers, QB Dillon Gabriel, OL Kendrick Green, CB Myles Harden, DL Sam Kamara, TE David Njoku, WR Jamari Thrash
Patriots at Jets
Patriots: QB Tommy DeVito, WR Kayshon Boutte, OT Marcus Bryant, G Jared Wilson, NT Khyiris Tonga, LB Robert Spillane, LB Harold Landry
Jets: QB Tyrod Taylor, OL Marquis Hayes, WR Quentin Skinner, TE Mason Taylor, DL Mazi Smith, S Chris Smith
Saints at Titans
Saints: S Ugo Amadi, WR Mason Tipton, CB Rejzohn Wright, RB Alvin Kamara, G Cesar Ruiz, TE Zaire Mitchell-Paden, DT Bryan Bresee
Titans: S Jerrick Reed, OL Brandon Crenshaw-Dickson, OL Garrett Dellinger, OL Drew Moss, DL Cam Horsley
Jaguars at Colts
Jaguars: CB Keith Taylor, RB Bhayshul Tuten, G Patrick Mekari, C Robert Hainsey, TE Hunter Long, DL Danny Striggow, DT Maason Smith
Colts: C Tanor Bortolini, RB Tyler Goodson, S Reuben Lowery, S George Odum, OL Dalton Tucker, DL JT Tuimoloau
Buccaneers at Dolphins
Buccaneers: QB Connor Bazelak, WR Sterling Shepard, S Rashad Wisdom, LB John Bullock, OT Tristan Wirfs, EDGE Anthony Nelson
Dolphins: QB Tua Tagovailoa, S Minkah Fitzpatrick, WR Nick Westbrook-Ikhine, OL Kendall Lamm, C Aaron Brewer, LB Derrick McClendon
Cardinals at Bengals
Cardinals: S Budda Baker, OL Evan Brown, TE Pharaoh Brown, CB Kei’Trel Clark, K Joshua Karty, CB Kalen King, DL PJ Mustipher
Bengals: QB Jake Browning, WR Charlie Jones, CB Josh Newton, S PJ Jules, DE Joseph Ossai, TE Cam Grandy, DT Jordan Jefferson
The Panthers have been without linebacker Trevin Wallace three of their last five games and they’ll continue to play without them until their season comes to an end.
Panthers head coach Dave Canales announced on Friday that Wallace will miss the rest of the season after having shoulder surgery. Wallace had 61 tackles and two sacks in his 12 starts this year.
“He was a stud about it,” Canales said, via the team’s website. “And it was a playable condition, but he wasn’t really turning the corner to be able to play confidently the way that we know he can. And so we reevaluated that and really just collectively made that decision to make sure we can get this thing right, get ahead of it right now, and we have him getting ready to go for the spring and get him strong.”
Claudin Cherelus will join Christian Rozeboom as the starting linebackers for Carolina.
The Panthers also ruled out defensive lineman Tershawn Wharton for Sunday’s game against the Seahawks with a hamstring injury. Guard Robert Hunt (biceps) and wide receiver David Moore (elbow) are both questionable to be activated from injured reserve.
The Seahawks will be down a starter on both sides of the ball for Sunday’s road game against the Panthers.
Safety Coby Bryant was ruled out on Friday due to the knee injury he suffered in the team’s win over the Rams in Week 17. Bryant has started all 15 games this season and has played in 39 consecutive games overall.
Ty Okada is expected to step into his starting role this weekend.
Left tackle Charles Cross is the offensive starter that the Seahawks will be missing on Sunday. Cross is going to miss his second straight game with a hamstring injury and Josh Jones will fill his spot on the offensive line.
No other Seahawks players have injury designations in Week 17.
The NFL playoff picture has largely taken shape, with 11 of the 14 playoff berths clinched. And the other three playoff berths could all be clinched by Sunday.
We already know that six of the NFC playoff teams will be the Seahawks, Bears, Eagles, 49ers, Rams and Packers. The seventh NFC playoff team will be either the Panthers or Buccaneers.
And we know that five of the AFC playoff teams will be the Broncos, Patriots, Jaguars, Chargers and Bills. One of the two remaining spots will go to either the Steelers or Ravens, and the other will go to either the Texans or Colts.
The Panthers can clinch the seventh and final NFC playoff berth if they win and the Buccaneers lose on Sunday.
The Steelers will clinch one of the AFC playoff berths if they win or the Ravens lose, and the Texans will clinch the other AFC playoff berth if they win or the Colts lose.
Knowing all 14 playoff teams wouldn’t render Week 18 totally meaningless, as there would still be jockeying for playoff seeding, but it would mean a lot of teams won’t have anything to play for in the final weekend of the season. Week 18 could be a rather anticlimactic conclusion to the regular season, and a slow week before the start of the playoffs.
