The Carolina Panthers will close the book on their starting tight end for the 2023 season. Per Joe Person of The Athletic, the Panthers are placing Hayden Hurst on the injured reserve (IR), effectively ending his season with four weeks left in the regular season.
New: Panthers expected to place Hayden Hurst on IR, ending the season of a player who's dealt with amnesia issues stemming from his Nov. 9 concussion at Chicago.https://t.co/EOgGxsCOY7
— Joe Person (@josephperson) December 15, 2023
Hurst signed a 3-year, $21,750,000 contract with the Carolina Panthers this offseason. In his absence, the Panthers will use a mix of tight ends led by Tommy Tremble.
Carolina Panthers TE Hayden Hurst: Dealing with Post-Traumatic Amnesia
The Carolina Panthers will shut down Hurst as he continues to deal with post-traumatic amnesia. Hurst returned to practice earlier this month but never received the green light for contact. The six-year NFL vet suffered a concussion in Week 10 and has yet to recover fully. A social media post by his father later revealed the circumstances around his son’s elongated absence.
Hayden Hurst: Former Baseball Player Turned First-Round Draft Pick
Initially a minor league farm hand for the Pittsburgh Pirates, Hurst walked on at the University of South Carolina in 2015 after retiring from baseball. Hurst earned All-SEC honors in 2017 before being selected with the 25th overall pick in the 2018 NFL draft by the Baltimore Ravens. The six-foot-four, 245-pound tight end spent two seasons in Baltimore before being dealt to the Atlanta Falcons.
The South Carolina Gamecocks product caught 43 passes for 513 yards and three scores during that span. Hurst posted career numbers in 2020, his first with the Falcons, recording 56 receptions, 571 yards, and six touchdowns. Hurst dealt with injuries the following season while seeing a decline in his counting statistics. He joined the Cincinnati Bengals for the 2022 campaign, snagging 52 passes in 13 games. Hurst logged 13 receptions through the team’s three playoff games.
With the book officially closing on Hurst’s 2023 season, the 30-year-old finishes the year with 18 catches for 184 yards and a score.
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