While the Carolina Panthers defeated the Seattle Seahawks to advance to the NFC Championship Game on Sunday, the news was not all good for the team and defensive end Jared Allen.
I'm told Panthers DE Jared Allen suffered a foot injury that will likely require surgery and end his season.
— Jonathan Jones (@jjones9) January 17, 2016
Jones later added that surgery isn’t official, there’s not much optimism with the Panthers on Allen’s condition.
Unless it’s significantly better than expected, it’s hard to imagine Allen being close to full strength for the NFC Championship Game against the Arizona Cardinals, or a potential Super Bowl berth by the Panthers.
Allen, who’s in his first year in Carolina, hasn’t had a great season, recording only two sacks and none since a Week 8 victory against the Indianapolis Colts.
Assuming he can’t play, Allen’s injury likely means significant playing time for second year man Kony Ealy, who started nine games during the regular season. Another option would be rookie Ryan Delaire, who has not played since Week 16. Ealy recorded five sacks during the 2015 season, while Delaire notched 2.5.