Panthers rookie QB likely out for season with significant injury

Mar 2, 2022; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Mississippi Rebels quarterback Matt Corral (2) during the NFL Combine at the Indiana Convention Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Carolina Panthers rookie quarterback Matt Corral’s first professional season is likely over practically before it even began.

Panthers head coach Matt Rhule told reporters on Saturday that Corral suffered a “significant” Lisfranc injury during Friday’s preseason game against the New England Patriots. The injury could sideline Corral for the entire 2022 season.

#Panthers rookie QB Matt Corral has a “significant” Lisfranc injury, Matt Rhule tells reporters. That sounds like a season-ending injury. Tough one for Corral, who might have seen action later in the season depending on how things went for Carolina.

— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) August 20, 2022

While the team has not officially announced Corral’s injury as season-ending as of yet, the Panthers’ Twitter account did retweet the below tweet from team reporter Augusta Stone about Corral’s injury.

Matt Corral tore his lisfranc, per Matt Rhule. Should be a significant injury, he says.

— Augusta Stone (@augustalstone) August 20, 2022

The Lisfranc joint is vital to a player’s ability to walk, run and cut. An injury to the joint typically involves broken bones or torn ligaments in the midfoot.

Corral was likely not going to get much playing time this season barring injuries to Baker Mayfield or Sam Darnold. But Corral, if out for the year, would miss an important year of NFL development.

The 23-year-old was drafted with the 94th pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, and had a strong response to falling into the third round.

Corral had completed 10 passes for 69 yards in two preseason games this year. He was also sacked twice.