As injuries pile on Carolina Panthers defense, pass rushing help is on the way
For an overwhelming majority of this trying Carolina Panthers season, Marquis Haynes has said and thought and done all the right things.
Take it day by day, he’s told himself.
Be patient.
Trust this painstaking process.
But there have been a few moments when the pass rusher is a bit more honest with how difficult this months-long road to recovery from a back injury has been; when all he wants to do is declare that he’s healthy and rush back onto the field and tell the Panthers’ decision-makers, take me off IR, I’m ready to come back!
In those moments, he has a special name.
“Grumpy Quis.”
“I work with Karen (Ocwieja) on the training staff, so she always gets on me about being Grumpy Quis, when I come in mad because I’m always trying to do stuff,” Haynes told reporters Tuesday, wearing a hood over his head and a youthful smile. “So every time I’m watching them play, there’s always something like, ‘Ah, I want to play too!’ And she’ll just give me a look like, Quis.
“And I say ‘I know I know I know.’ She’s helped keep me accountable health-wise.”
Soon, though, Grumpy Quis might get his moment.
The Panthers announced that Haynes was designated to return off of injured reserve, activating a 21-day window for the pass rusher to practice and eventually land on the active roster. The Panthers’ 2018 fourth-round draft pick out of Ole Miss notched a career-high five sacks and 29 tackles with a fumble return for a touchdown in 2022 before suffering the aforementioned back injury early on in training camp. He practiced briefly at the end of the preseason and then was sidelined the week after the team made its first 53-man roster cuts.
His return to practice doesn’t mean his return to the field on Sundays — or on Thursday night against the Chicago Bears — is imminent. But it means his time is coming.
And those prospects can’t come soon enough — for the team and Haynes himself.
“He can really rush the passer,” safety Xavier Woods said of Haynes, who he got to know quite well when both were working back from weeks-long injuries this year. “He hasn’t played at all, he’s been out since training camp. He’s been really frustrated because of his injury and how it’s been going, so I’m happy for him to be able to get back out there.”
Carolina (1-7) has suffered through a remarkable amount of injuries, particularly on the defensive side. Top cornerback Jaycee Horn went down with a serious hamstring injury Week 1. Shaq Thompson, the longstanding linebacker and soul of the defense, went down for the season in Week 2. Safeties Vonn Bell, Jeremy Chinn and Woods have all missed time — and now both starting outside linebackers with All-Pro pasts, Justin Houston (hamstring/IR) and Brian Burns (concussion), are out for Thursday’s game.
The list is longer, too. The Panthers now have 12 guys on the injured reserve, which is among the most in the NFL.
Getting the 6-2, 235-pound Haynes back would be a much-needed boost for a pass rush that is tied for 23rd in sacks and for a defense that is 28th in rushing yards allowed per game. When asked specifically what he could bring, he used the terms “energy” and “spark” and described how he can’t wait for the day he could celebrate a big tackle with his teammates.
His coaches used similar phrases.
“He’s as a tough a person as I’ve ever met,” defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero said. “Mentally and physically. I just love everything about him. How he prepares, how he works.
“He’s been dealing with a lot of frustrations with the injuries, but he hasn’t let it affect his work ethic as far as what he’s doing in the training room, on the field, and even coming in the meetings and making sure he’s staying up to date on the packages.”
Head coach Frank Reich agreed.
“We got him a little work today, just getting him up and going,” the head coach said of Haynes. “He obviously has been working hard to return to play with our trainers and strength staff. So he’s in good shape, we just have to see how quickly he can adapt and be ready to play in the game.”
Reich indicated him returning for Thursday’s game is improbable, saying the team is “ramping him up slowly.” Haynes indicated that, too.
Before leaving his locker Tuesday, Haynes himself was asked how he felt.
“75%,” he responded.
What percentage does he need to be at to play?
“100%,” he said.
Then Grumpy Quis shed a smile, as if he wasn’t letting on all he was thinking.
“But ask me, if they put me out there, I’m gonna do my best,” he said. “So that’s all I can say.”
This story was originally published November 8, 2023 at 6:30 AM with the headline "As injuries pile on Carolina Panthers defense, pass rushing help is on the way."
