The Carolina Panthers placed tight end Hayden Hurst and left guard Justin McCray on injured reserve on Friday.
With four games left in the regular season and the Panthers at 1-12, their seasons are over.
Hurst continues to battle the side effects of a concussion sustained Nov. 9 in a game against the Chicago Bears.
In a Dec. 6 social media post, Hurst’s father, Jerry, said an independent neurologist had diagnosed the player with post-traumatic amnesia and added, “Slow recovery, don’t know when he’ll be back. Prayers appreciated!”
The following day, the 30-year-old Hurst added his own social media post.
“I appreciate everyone reaching out & checking on me,” he wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter. “I suffered a pretty nasty concussion against the Bears a few weeks ago & don’t remember up to 4 hours after the game. Scary situation but the Panthers have been incredible walking me through this process.”
In the first season of a three-year deal with the Panthers, Hurst has 18 receptions for 184 yards and one touchdown in nine games.
Hurst spent the first two seasons of his career with the Baltimore Ravens, who selected him No. 25 overall in the 2018 NFL Draft, followed by two seasons with the Atlanta Falcons and a single campaign with the Cincinnati Bengals.
In 79 career games (39 starts), Hurst has 195 receptions for 1,902 yards with 15 touchdowns.
McCray, 31, sustained a calf injury on the first play of Sunday’s 28-6 loss to the New Orleans Saints. He has played in four games this season, starting the last two.
McCray has started 31 of his 80 games with five teams since his 2017 debut with the Green Bay Packers.
–Field Level Media