Rookie wide receiver Curtis Samuel of the Carolina Panthers suffered ligament damage in his left ankle on Monday and will be out for the remainder of this NFL season. He will undergo a surgery in the following days. The news was confirmed on the Panthers’ official website and Twitter account.
Curtis Samuel’s rookie year is over. https://t.co/i5OPDEyrph
— Carolina Panthers (@Panthers) November 14, 2017
Samuel turned his foot awkwardly in the third quarter of Panthers 45–21 win against the Miami Dolphins and immediately left the game. Before his exit, Samuel had a great game, ending the first half with five catches for 45 yards.
“There were a lot of good things,” Panthers offensive coordinator Mike Shula said about Samuel’s performance. “He had a couple of third-down conversions, and his awareness is becoming better and better as far as finding holes in the zones. He’s doing a better job on releases – just all the little things on route running. He made a tough catch when he got hit hard on a deep cross and held onto it.“
In Samuel’s absence, Panthers will most likely turn to Kaelin Clay, Russell Shepard and running back Christian McCaffrey as his replacements. Receiver Damiere Byrd will also be at the team’s disposal in December. The Panthers will receive another boost since Pro Bowl tight end Greg Olsen is also set to re-join the team after he suffered a broken foot in Week 2 game against the Buffalo Bills.
Before Panthers drafted him in the second round of the 2017 NFL draft, Curtis Samuel spent three years at Ohio State College. In 172 for Buckeyes, Samuel had 1,286 rushing yards and 15 touchdowns, alongside 1,249 receiving yards and 9 touchdowns. He had a shaky start in NFL, having managed only 10 catches for 70 yards before the game against the Dolphins.
