NFL Injury Report: Panthers Crushed By Kelvin Benjamin Loss

Jan 3, 2015; Charlotte, NC, USA; Carolina Panthers wide receiver Kelvin Benjamin (13) walks onto the field before the 2014 NFC Wild Card playoff football game against the Arizona Cardinals at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sam Sharpe-USA TODAY Sports

Players are going down in a hurry across the league and some big names are filling out the NFL injury report. Who are the ones to take note of?

Kelvin Benjamin

If Cam Newton is going to carry the Carolina Panthers offense in 2015, he’s going to need all his weapons in place, especially second-year receiver Kelvin Benjamin. So to see giant target go down running routine routes in practice is not a good sign, especially when the team is forced to help in to the sideline where he’s carted off. Benjamin had 73 catches for 1,008 yards and nine touchdowns as a rookie.

Later it was revealed the young receiver is done for the season, suffering a torn ACL.

Louis Delmas

Carolina wasn’t the only team that suffered a loss during that joint practice with Miami. The Dolphins watched as safety Louis Delmas, who was a steady part of their secondary last season, go down holding his knee as well. It was reportedly the same knee he tore his ACL on near the end of last season.

Considering he was carted off the field like Benjamin was, there is no doubt an air of pessimism hangs for the team. His loss would be a big one for that secondary.

Percy Harvin

Losing LeSean McCoy to a hamstring problem was bad enough for the Buffalo Bills offense. Now one of the key components to their passing attack, wide receiver Percy Harvin is dealing with a nagging hip problem that caused the team to give him a platelet-rich plasma injection to help with his recovery. This is an injury that has flared up several times since the 2013 season, causing him to frequently miss time.

So far hopes are high he can be back by the fourth preseason game, but there are no guarantees.

Julius Thomas

The Jacksonville Jaguars knew the risk when they signed tight end Julius Thomas to a major contract in free agency. He had a reputation throughout his time in Denver for being injury prone. Barely a few weeks into his tenure with the team and he’s already going to miss the rest of the preseason due to a fractured left hand. Considered how big the plans are for him to help young quarterback Blake Bortles mature, this is not the news Jacksonville wants to hear.

E.J. Gaines

The one area the St. Louis Rams could ill-afford any injuries on defense was in the secondary. Most of the unit did not perform that well in 2014. One of the few who did was promising rookie E.J. Gaines, who was rated by Pro Football Focus as their best cover corner. So to lose him for the season to Lisfranc injury in his foot has to be discouraging, especially in a year with such high expectations. Gaines will return, but until then the Rams will have a tough time filling that void.

Mike Iupati

Being able to run the football better was one of the stated goals for the Arizona Cardinals in 2015. That was part of the reason they brought in former 49ers Pro Bowl guard Mike Iupati. The plan took a hit though when it was reported Iupati’s knee had started to swell during practice. With rest not helping, the decision has been made for him to undergo arthroscopic surgery to clean things up.

It is expected to sideline the 28-year old for the next six to eight weeks, meaning he could miss as much as the first month of the regular season.

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