Hayden Hurst‘s comments detailing the head injury he suffered last month pointed to a hopeful late-season return. The Panthers are, however, expected to exercise caution with their offseason tight end pickup.
Carolina is planning to place Hurst on IR, The Athletic’s Joe Person notes. With players stashed on IR required to miss four games, this move will end the veteran tight end’s season. Hurst has not played since suffering a concussion Nov. 9. The Panthers gave the former Ravens, Falcons and Bengals pass catcher a three-year, $21.75MM deal in March.
Hurst’s father shared recently that an independent neurologist diagnosed the veteran tight end with post-traumatic amnesia, and the former first-round pick confirmed the diagnosis. While Hurst said the post-traumatic amnesia assessment “sounds way worse,” he did add he could not remember anything up to four hours following that November game against the Bears.
The 30-year-old tight end had not stood out prior to suffering the scary injury, but no non-Adam Thielen presence in Carolina’s offense has fared particularly well during this woeful season. The Panthers made Hurst this offseason’s highest-paid tight end signee; he totaled 18 receptions for 184 yards and a touchdown in nine games. Hurst has never been a prolific receiving tight end. The Ravens found a better aerial option two rounds later in the 2018 draft, in Mark Andrews, leading to a 2020 trade. A year after acquiring Hurst, the Falcons drafted Kyle Pitts fourth overall.
Considering what happened in Chicago, Hurst having locked in $13MM guaranteed at signing proves pivotal. Although a new coaching staff will come in after Hurst signed to play in Frank Reich‘s offense, his $5.75MM 2024 base salary is guaranteed.