Carolina Panthers wide receiver DJ Chark on Friday was ruled out for the team’s season opener against the host Atlanta Falcons.
Chark turned in a limited practice on Friday after missing the first two sessions of the week due to a hamstring injury.
Rookie quarterback Bryce Young could be without another wideout in his NFL debut, too. Adam Thielen, who is nursing an ankle injury, was limited in practice on Friday and is listed as questionable for Sunday’s game.
Terrace Marshall, Ihmir Smith-Marsette, Laviska Shenault Jr. and rookie Jonathan Mingo are the other members of the wide-receiver room for the Panthers.
Chark, 26, had 30 receptions for 502 yards and three touchdowns in 11 games (10 starts) last season for the Detroit Lions. He signed a one-year, $5 million contract with Carolina in March.
Through 54 career games (40 starts), Chark has 177 catches for 2,544 yards and 18 touchdowns with the Jacksonville Jaguars (2018-21) and Lions (2022).
Thielen, 33, is in his first season with the Panthers after playing with the Minnesota Vikings from 2014-22. The two-time Pro Bowl selection (2017-18) has 534 receptions for 6,682 yards and 55 touchdowns in 135 career games (101 starts).
In 2022, Thielen started all 17 games and finished with 70 catches, 716 yards and six TDs.
–Field Level Media