Laviska Shenault Jr’s Fate Leaves Panthers Reeling Amid Crisis

Laviska Shenault Jr., a wide receiver with the Carolina Panthers, was not present for practice on Wednesday as the club got ready for Week 13 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The 25-year-old wide receiver was ruled out of last weekend’s game against the Tennessee Titans due to an ankle ailment. On Thursday, the fourth-year receiver was placed on injured reserve. He is currently one of the two players from Carolina that have been placed on the injured reserve list this week, along with guard Chandler Zavala. The Panthers’ persistent injury problems are forcing them to make some difficult roster decisions as they approach their last six games of a challenging season. Shenault will miss a minimum of four games as a result of being placed on injured reserve. Jacksonville Jaguars selected the wide receiver in the second round of the 2020 NFL Draft. Before being traded to the Panthers ahead of last season, he played in Jacksonville for two seasons. Earlier in the season, during the Carolina Panthers’ 42-21 loss to the Miami Dolphins in Week 6, Laviska Shenault sprained his high ankle. After that injury, he did not go on injured reserve; rather, he missed three games in a row until he played again two weeks ago against the Dallas Cowboys. But this past Sunday, while playing his second consecutive game back against the Titans, Shenault suffered a fresh ankle injury early on and was sidelined for the remainder of the match. The Panthers may choose to hold off on sending Shenault back to the field this season but his potential return from injured reserve is Week 17. Given that the team has the poorest record in the league at 1-10 with small chance of making the playoffs, the next time we might see Shenault in action could be next season. This season, the rookie wide receiver has been targeted 10 times, gathering 60 yards on 10 grabs with no touchdowns. Additionally, he has 55 yards on 12 carries. Shenault may not have a huge statistical effect, but his athleticism always makes him a dangerous player when he has the ball in his hands. Unfortunately, injuries and coaching issues have restricted his impact so far.