Zane Gonzalez‘s season has come to an end. The Panthers announced today that they placed the veteran kicker on injured reserve. The IR stint will force Gonzalez to miss at least three games, and with only three games remaining on the schedule, his season has effectively come to an end.
The 26-year-old was signed off the Lions practice squad in September, replacing the likes of Joey Slye and Ryan Santoso. Gonzalez missed a field goal in Week 4, but he’s since made 17-straight, making him 20-for-22 for the season. The veteran also connected on 22 of his 23 extra point tries. Gonzalez will be a free agent this offseason.
Gonzalez suffered a quad injury prior to Sunday’s win over the Bills. Wideout Brandon Zylstra was forced to handle kickoffs, while the team generally went for fourth downs and two-point conversations without a healthy kicker.
The Panthers will temporarily turn to Lirim Hajrullahu, who was signed off the Washington Football Team practice squad today. The 31-year-old made his NFL debut earlier this season. connecting on five extra point tries for the Cowboys. Carolina also added kicker Alex Kessman to the practice squad.
The Panthers lost to the Bills last Sunday.
Who needs facts when you have a thesaurus and synonyms?
“Gonzalez suffered a quad injury prior to Sunday’s win over the Bills.” – Ben Levine
Half of the above is true.
It wouldn’t be a bad idea for a borderline bench player to learn how to kick. Quite a few teams only have one punter or kicker. Having the extra skill set may make them more employable, especially if someone when down.
You would think that teams would have a backup plan for injured kickers. Washington also gave away a chance to win a game this year by not having such a plan.