Carolina will be without one of its offensive line starters for a bit. The Panthers are placing left guard Pat Elflein on IR, Jonathan Alexander of the Charlotte Observer notes. The team has since announced the move.
A hamstring injury forced Elflein out of Sunday’s win over the Saints during the first half. Matt Rhule had already ruled Elflein out of Thursday’s game against the Texans, but the veteran interior lineman will now have more time to recover. He will miss at least Carolina’s next three games — against Houston, Dallas and Philadelphia.
Dennis Daley replaced Elflein in Carolina’s lineup Sunday and will be in line to start Thursday. Daley started at right guard to open the season but returned to the bench initially in Week 2, with John Miller back at his post. A 2019 sixth-round pick, Daley made nine starts as a rookie and three last season.
Elflein, 27, is no stranger to injury trouble. A knee issue in Week 1 of the 2020 season led to the Vikings placing him on IR. They eventually waived their former starting center and guard, and the Jets claimed him. The Panthers signed Elflein to a three-year, $13.5M deal in March.
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