Panthers tackle Daryl Williams was rolled up on during a training camp practice earlier today, and now the diagnosis is in. Williams “dislocated [the] right patella and tore the MCL in the same knee” according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network (Twitter link). Rapoport notes that the injury is “not as bad as anticipated,” but it’s still very serious. The team’s official release on the injury said there’s “no timetable” for his return.
Rapoport then reported in a follow-up tweet that the injury “is not expected to be season-ending,” but as Joe Person of the Charlotte Observer tweets, head coach Ron Rivera said the team is still unsure as to whether it will try to get Williams back this year. Williams will clearly be missing at least some of the regular season, then, which represents a huge blow to the Panthers’ prospects.
2017 second-round pick Taylor Moton is the “next man up” noted Adam Schefter of ESPN (Twitter link). It’s a tough break for Williams, who has been looking for a new contract recently. It was reported back in June that there was a “monster gap” between the two sides during negotiations.
Williams, a fourth round pick in 2015, will be a free agent after the season. The Panthers were already going to have some turnover on the offensive line with guard Andrew Norwell departing for Jacksonville in free agency, and now will have even less continuity. It’s bad news for Cam Newton in what some are billing as a make-or-break year for the quarterback.
Dislocated knee and dislocated kneecap are two very different things. Dislocated knee is the most serious knee injury one can suffer: see lattimore and bridgewater. Dislocated kneecap is a super minor issue compared to the dislocated knee. Just wanted to point that out to clear any confusion on the post/title.