Carolina Panthers rookie guard Chandler Zavala went down with a scary-looking injury against the Detroit Lions on Sunday. Here’s what we know about Zavala after he suffered an injury in Week 5.
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Chandler Zavala Injury Update
Zavala stayed down on the field following a seemingly normal-looking football play. He appeared to collide with Lions defensive tackle Isaiah Buggs, but it was difficult to tell what actually happened to Zavala.
This is the scene here at Ford Field. Everybody concerned about Chandler Zavala. pic.twitter.com/JVL0NHLbjx
— Joe Person (@josephperson) October 8, 2023
Players from both clubs emptied the sidelines and took a knee around Zavala as medical personnel attended to the fourth-round guard.
Detroit’s medical staff put a brace around Zavala’s neck and strapped him to a board before removing him from the field.
Thankfully, Zavala gave a thumbs-up as he left.
#Panthers OL Chandler Zavala gives a thumbs up as he’s carted off the field 🙏
pic.twitter.com/ldFIM58BY6— Pro Football Network (@PFN365) October 8, 2023
The Panthers announced that Zavala was being taken to a local hospital for evaluation.
Fortunately, Carolina later announced that Zavala had movement in all of his extremities. He was being evaluated for a neck injury.
Zavala was able to join the rest of the Panthers’ roster at the airport and returned to Charlotte, N.C. his teammates, as Darren Urban of Panthers.com wrote.
Zavala, 24, earned first-team All-ACC honors during his final season at North Carolina State before landing with Carolina as the 114th pick in the 2023 NFL Draft.
With veteran Panthers guard Austin Corbett working his way back from an ACL injury, Zavala had started all four of Carolina’s games thus far.