According to Adam Schefter, Carolina Panthers safety Jeremy Chinn has suffered a significant quad injury and expects to miss up to six weeks. Chinn will avoid surgery but becomes a realistic candidate for the injured reverse (IR).
Panthers’ S Jeremy Chinn has a significant quad injury that is expected to sideline him up to six weeks, per league sources. Chinn does not need surgery, but he also is in the last year of his contract and scheduled to be a free agent after this season.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) October 18, 2023
Chinn’s name circulated through the NFL rumor mill this season, with the star safety scheduled to become a free agent after the 2023 campaign. The Southern Illinois product joins a long list of Panthers injured this season. The Carolina defense has been decimated, with corner Jaycee Horn and linebacker Shaq Thompson suffering significant injuries earlier in the year. Fellow safeties Xavier Woods and Vonn Bell have also endured injuries in 2023. Woods is out for multiple weeks while Bell’s status remains in the air. Additionally, running back Miles Sanders, tight end Ian Thomas, and wideout Laviska Shenault have been injured on offense.
Jeremy Chinn: A Staple of the Carolina Panthers Defense
Jeremy Chinn, a former second-round draft pick in 2022, has played well for Carolina. The six-foot-three, 220-pound safety was brilliant as a rookie, tallying 117 tackles and leading the NFL with two fumble recoveries returned for touchdowns. Chinn earned PFWA All-Rookie Team honors and November’s Defensive Rookie of the Month Award. The 25-year-old tallied another 107 tackles in 2021, including a career-high six TFLs. Chinn played in just 11 games in 2022 after suffering a hamstring injury in Week 4.
Chinn has played in six games this season, totaling 23 tackles, two TFLs, one sack, and one pass defended. The safety saw less action during NFL training camp after Carolina switched defensive coordinators. His most recent injury tanks his potential trade value. The NFL trade deadline is on October 31.
Carolina Panthers: Defensive Outlook post-Jeremy Chinn Injury
The Carolina Panthers have struggled on defense in 2023. They allow 31.0 points per game, the 31st-highest mark in the NFL. The Panthers are in the bottom half of the league in yards and points allowed, while opposing backfields have averaged 4.9 yards per rush attempt. However, the secondary has played well, forcing five interceptions in six games. Jeremy Chinn is outside the top five on the Panthers in most defensive categories, including tackles, TFLs, and passes defended.
Chinn’s injury leaves an already demolished secondary even more shorthanded. Chinn joins fellow safeties Vonn Bell and Xavier Woods on the shelf, leaving Sam Franklin, rookie Jammie Robinson, and journeyman Mathias Farley as the only safeties on the roster to play this season. In the wake of the flurry of injuries, Carolina signed safety Alex Cook from the New York Giants practice squad.