Panthers badly banged up on defense as Carolina prepares to face Bears without Burns

It was only an estimation, but Monday’s injury status report served as a strong illustration of the Carolina Panthers’ glaring defensive depth issues ahead of their quick-turnaround matchup against the Chicago Bears on Thursday.

The report, which was based on the participation in the team’s initial walk-through, featured eight no-shows.

Three members of that injured group — pass rusher Brian Burns, cornerback CJ Henderson and safety Xavier Woods — are regular starters on defense. Burns and Henderson left Sunday’s 27-13 loss to the Indianapolis Colts with concussions, while Woods injured his thigh during the game.

Given the nature of Burns’ head injury, head coach Frank Reich all but ruled out the two-time Pro Bowl pass rusher for Thursday’s game.

“He’s our best player — he’s a beast,” Reich said. “We’ll miss him. But it’s next man up. And I’m not even thinking there’s any chance of getting him (back), honestly. Even if we were, there’s a part of me, where I can’t imagine letting him out there, even if he wanted to go out there.

“So, again, this will be next man up. This has happened many times — we move on.”

The Panthers have dealt with constant injury issues on defense this season.

Notable starters such as cornerback Jaycee Horn (hamstring) and linebacker Shaq Thompson (fibula) have spent the majority of the season on injured reserve, while defensive backs Vonn Bell (quad) and Jeremy Chinn (quadriceps) and pass rusher Justin Houston (hamstring) have all missed games during the past few weeks.

But with a quick road trip to Chicago on tap, following an injury-riddled loss to the Colts, the Panthers are as short-staffed on defense as they’ve been all season.

“A credit to (defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero) and the defensive staff for how they’ve moved guys around and got them playing good football,” Reich said. “We’ll continue to do that. We’ll work with the guys we got, every man has got to be ready to go, so I know they’ll be ready.”

The Panthers activated the 21-day practice window for pass rusher Marquis Haynes (back) on Monday.

Haynes, who has spent the entire season on injured reserve, was a full participant at the first walk-through of the week. But there’s no guarantee that the Panthers would rush him back onto the field after just a pair of abbreviated practices.

Still, Reich expressed confidence in Haynes’ recovery.

“He’s getting close,” Reich said. “He’s getting really close.”

Due to injuries, the Panthers were forced to start rookies DJ Johnson and Alex Cook on defense against the Colts. Cornerback Dicaprio Bootle was also asked to play a big role in the second half with Henderson sidelined by a concussion.

As the Panthers get ready for the Bears, Carolina will be forced to count on that trio again with injuries piling up.

“They performed well,” Reich said. “Bootle really did a good job. Cook also made some big plays. Young players getting an opportunity, making the most of it, so that they’re prepared if it needs to be a longer role in that position — great. If it ends up they move back to a backup role, that just makes our team stronger, so credit to them for being ready and getting ready to go.”

Quick hits

▪ Below is the Panthers’ estimated injury report for Monday:

Did not participate: OLB Brian Burns (concussion/elbow), WR DJ Chark (elbow), CB CJ Henderson (concussion), WR Laviska Shenault (ankle), TE Stephen Sullivan (shoulder), OLB Luiji Vilain (knee), S Xaiver Woods (thigh) and LB Chandler Wooten (ankle).

Full: S Vonn Bell (quad), RB Raheem Blackshear (ankle), OT Ickey Ekwonu (ankle), LB Frankie Luvu (hip), TE Tommy Tremble (shoulder).

▪ The Panthers placed running back Tarik Cohen (hamstring) on the practice squad injured reserve list. The team signed Cohen in September after a tryout. He has not played in a regular season game since 2020.