After an up-and-down start in his first two years in the league, Carolina Panthers fans and fantasy football managers have been excited about the prospect of Terrace Marshall taking the next step in 2023.
But a recent back injury has sidelined Marshall before the regular season kicks off. How serious is Marshall’s injury, and what are the implications for the Panthers and fantasy managers alike? Let’s dig in and find out.
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What Happened to Terrace Marshall?
Two days after the Panthers were shut out in their preseason opener against the New York Jets, their week started on a tough note. During their Monday practice, Marshall had to be carted off the field after sustaining a back injury. The timetable for the injury is said to be a few weeks, with hopes Marshall could maybe return sooner.
Marshall, a third-year pro out of LSU, has had a slow start to his career after entering the league with some promise. Between lackluster quarterback play and a series of injuries in his first two years, Marshall has only been able to tally 628 career receiving yards and has only found paydirt once in his career.
With injuries in both of his first two years, this is starting to feel a bit more like a trend for the wideout and raises concerns about how much the team can rely on Marshall’s health. Carolina made a large investment in QB Bryce Young in the 2023 draft that forced them to trade away their top WR, D.J. Moore. Now the Panthers need some young receivers to step up in their offense.
What Are the Carolina Panthers’ Options if Marshall Misses Time?
Marshall is not the only issue in the current Panthers WR room. Free agent addition Damiere Byrd was placed on season-ending injured reserve just two days after Marshall’s injury.
But Carolina’s WR room is not vacant by any means. The team still has new receivers, from free agent signings Adam Thielen and DJ Chark to returning receiver Laviska Shenault to rookie wideout Jonathan Mingo, who the team invested an early second-round pick in this spring.
But Marshall was in line to compete with Chark for a starting spot for the Panthers. His absence hurts Carolina’s depth and requires some other names to step up. Third-year pro Shi Smith and journeyman Javon Wims could be options with Marshall out, but neither is a trustworthy solution.
For now, the Panthers will likely hope that Marshall is able to quickly return and fall into the “few weeks” healing timeline his injury was given. That would at least have him close to ready for Week 1 of the regular season.
What Does This Mean for Marshall’s Fantasy Ranking?
Marshall is a very frustrating prospect for fantasy managers everywhere. Like many players before him, Marshall has a case of the injury bug that he hasn’t been able to shake since the moment he entered the NFL.
Panthers WR Terrace Marshall Jr showing his power. #KeepPounding pic.twitter.com/DywOwBhSus
— JOSE ALVARES (@Alvaresjose11) August 10, 2023
These injuries are damaging for a number of reasons. The obvious being that Marshall is unable to play or practice during the injury period. But it also impacts his inability to build chemistry with his quarterbacks and consistently work through the Panthers’ offense.
Carolina has had a revolving door of quarterbacks and play-callers over the past two years, and Marshall has never been able to fully grow with a QB or offensive coordinator. While his talent is tantalizing, none of it has turned into real production on the field, and he has not been able to grow at the next level.
2023 is a make-or-break year for Marshall. The Panthers and fantasy managers will need to see something out of the receiver for him to have value moving forward. Starting the year with injury issues is less than ideal and does not bode well for 2023 being his breakout season.