'Brutal' Injury Blow for Panthers ahead of Falcons Clash

The Atlanta Falcons take on the Carolina Panthers in Charlotte this week, and the Panthers will be without a key member of their offense.

The Carolina Panthers will be without starting center Austin Corbett in their upcoming game against the Atlanta Falcons. / Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

While the Atlanta Falcons have been riding high on the back of two NFC South victories that have propelled them to the top of the division, the Carolina Panthers have remained team turmoil to start the 2024 season.

The 1-4 Panthers suffered another blow when it was reported the injury starting center Austin Corbett suffered last week would end his season.

#Panthers C Austin Corbett tore his biceps and is out for the season, coach Dave Canales announced. Brutal loss.

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) October 7, 2024

"Panthers C Austin Corbett tore his biceps and is out for the season, coach Dave Canales announced. Brutal loss," wrote Ian Rapoport on X.

The Falcons are no stranger to injuries along the offense line this year, having suffered a short-term loss of their center Drew Dalman. Dalman is expected back at the before the end of the month, and the Falcons have been able to rely on Ryan Neuzil as an experienced backup.

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The core offensive line has been relatively healthy the last several years for Atlanta with Dalman being the first significant loss in any of the last-four seasons. Right tackle Kaleb McGary suffered an injury scare on his knee against the Kansas City Chiefs, but was able to return after missing just one game.

The Cleveland Browns made Corbett the first pick of the second round at No. 33 overall in the 2018 NFL Draft. He played parts of just two seasons before being shipped to he LA Rams in 2019.

Corbett started every game at guard for the Rams in 2020 and 2021. The Panthers signed him to a big three-year $26.3 million contract following his third year in LA. Good money for a player the Browns deemed a bust just three years earlier.

Corbett started every game for the Panthers in 2022, but he missed all-but four games of the 2023 season because of a knee injury. Carolina moved Corbett to center this year, but he will once again miss the rest of the season with a torn bicep. He is scheduled to be a free agent at the end of the season.

Atlanta hits the road on Sunday afternoon to take on the Panthers in Charlotte. Defensive tackles David Onyemata and Grady Jarrett already pose a significant challenge for Carolina's interior line. It will obviously be more difficult with a backup center executing the blocking assignments in tandem with the Panthers' guards.

The Falcons are currently a six-point favorite, their largest spread in either direction of the season. ESPN gives at Atlanta a 63.1% chance of winning the game with the odds expected to rise with the loss of Corbett.