The Panthers are down another key defensive back. According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, safety Xavier Woods is set to miss “extended time” while recovering from a hamstring injury.
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It’s uncertain exactly how much time Woods will miss, but a source told Fowler that the safety could be sidelined for four-to-six weeks. Woods has generally stayed healthy during his career, missing a total of six regular season games through his first six seasons in the league.
The former Cowboys sixth-round pick turned into a reliable starting safety during his time in Dallas, starting all 44 of his appearances between 2018 and 2020. Woods joined the Vikings for the 2021 campaign and proceeded to have a career year, finishing with a career-high 108 tackles, 10 passes defended, and three interceptions.
That performance earned the safety a three-year, $15.75MM deal from the Panthers during the 2022 offseason. Woods started all 15 of his appearances during his first season in Carolina, finishing with 86 tackles. He also started the Panthers’ first three games of the 2023 campaign, with Pro Football Focus grading him as the eighth-best safety among 85 qualifying players.
This is a tough break for a Panthers secondary that recently lost cornerback Jaycee Horn to a hamstring injury. That issue ultimately landed the starter on injured reserve. The team will have to dig deeper into their secondary depth with Woods set to miss time. Rookie fifth-round pick Jammie Robinson and UDFA D’Shawn Jamison round out the safeties depth chart behind Woods and Donte Jackson.