Bad news for the Carolina Panthers as veteran cornerback Charles Tillman will be out for the remainder of the season with a torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) suffered in Sunday's 38–10 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
This season is Tillman's first for Carolina as he played the first 12 seasons of his career with the Chicago Bears, the team that selected him in the second round of the 2003 National Football League (NFL) Draft.
Coming to the Panthers, Tillman who has two interceptions and 55 tackles in 12 games played and started this season, became an essential piece of the secondary. Such is why his absence in the team's playoff campaign is a tough blow.
Before the ACL injury, the 34-year-old cornerback already dealt with a right knee injury that made him miss four games this season.
The matchup versus the Bucs was only the third game of Tillman's return from the first injury to his right knee, unfortunately the second one ended his season abruptly.
"It's too bad. The guy has done some good things for us," Panther head coach Dan Rivera said Monday according to Panthers.com.
"He knew exactly what the risks were, but he wanted to play," Rivera added, also saying that Tillman was a veteran leader.
Replacing Tillman in last Sunday's win and most likely for the remainder of the season is cornerback Robert McClain.
McClain played well against Tampa Bay having one interception and seven tackles, further impressing Panthers defensive coordinator Sean McDermott.
"He came in the last couple of weeks from his couch, but he kept himself ready. He was ready yesterday, too. He knew the game plan and came in and executed the game plan and got a big interception that probably sealed the game," McDermott said about McClain, according to the team's website.
The next time Carolina will see action is on Jan. 17 for the Divisional Playoffs against an opponent yet to be determined.
