CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- The Carolina Panthers will place starting guard Robert Hunt and center Austin Corbett on injured reserve after each suffered significant fourth-quarter injuries in Sunday's 27-22 loss to the Arizona Cardinals.
Hunt will undergo surgery on his left biceps, a procedure that usually is season-ending, coach Dave Canales said on Monday.
Canales said Corbett suffered a "Grade 3" MCL injury to the same left knee that the 30-year-old had MCL and ACL surgery on in 2022 and 2023. Such an injury means the ligament was fully torn into two pieces. Treatment varies from physical therapy and rest to surgery. Recovery time typically is six weeks or longer.
Canales was unsure if Corbett would undergo surgery, and didn't rule out a return late in the season.
Cade Mays, who started eight games last season while Corbett dealt with a torn biceps, will start at center Sunday for the 0-2 Panthers' home opener against the Atlanta Falcons. Chandler Zavala, a 2023 fourth-round pick, will replace Hunt.
They will face an Atlanta defense that had six sacks in Sunday's win against the Minnesota Vikings.
"So two studs, two guys that we count in the locker room, on the field, their leadership, their positivity, their hard work, all those things, we're certainly going to miss those guys being out there," Canales said.
Corbett was distraught on Sunday over the realization this would be his fourth straight season with a major injury, saying, "Football sucks. But I love this game so much."
Canales also said wide receiver Xavier Legette, who had one catch for minus-2 yards on eight targets on Sunday, would remain in the lineup despite a slow start.
He defended the 2024 first-round pick for walking back to the Carolina side of the ball while in a hurry-up offense and quarterback Bryce Young urging his receiver to hurry up.
"This is a guy that I truly believe in because of the way he's wired, the way that he works at it, the way that he continues to train," Canales said. "So I'm going to continue to encourage him and be in his corner and push him to keep striving and keep working on his chemistry with Bryce."
