The Panthers are already playing without their quarterback, now they’ve lost one of their best players and team captains on the other side of the ball.
The team announced that Pro Bowl defensive tackle Kawann Short was going on injured reserve, and needed surgery to repair a partially torn rotator cuff.
“KK has done everything he could possibly do to try to play these past two games,” General Manager Marty Hurney said in a statement. “But we have made the decision that it is in the best long-term interest of KK and the team that he undergo surgery to fix his shoulder and focus on his rehab and get ready for next season.”
Short suffered the injury in Week Two against the Buccaneers, and has missed the last two games.
They still have offseason pickup Gerald McCoy, but that’s a major blow to their front seven.
To fill the roster spot, they signed defensive lineman Bryan Cox Jr. from the practice squad.
