Chandler Zavala of the Carolina Panthers was taken off the field on a backboard and rushed to the hospital after suffering a severe injury against the Detroit Lions on Sunday.
Zavala was injured after colliding with a defender after a seemingly routine play. He was on the ground for several minutes as medical workers checked on him.
As Zavala was being evaluated, benches from both sideslines spilled onto the field.
Zavala was given a cart and a backboard. The trolley was loaded with the 6-foot-3-inch, 322-pound lineman. As he was being escorted off the pitch, he gave the audience a thumbs up.
According to FOX sideline reporter Pam Oliver, Zavala was brought to the hospital for additional evaluation. Oliver stated that he was suffering from a neck injury.
Zavala was released from the hospital later that day and returned home with the team.
“That’s the scary part of what we do,” Panthers centre Bradley Bozeman told the team’s official website. “It’s scary when a guy like Chandler goes down and he’s sitting there, and they’re taking the facemask off and getting the cart out.” But, at the end of the day, we have to move on; you must log back in.
“When he said, ‘Hey, go get this,’ we knew he was good. But I’m just trying to keep battling and get back into the moment. It’s always a relief when they respond with something, whether it’s a thumbs up or something else. He did that as a way of letting us know he was cool.”
This past spring, the Panthers selected Zavala in the fourth round of the draught. He attended Fairmont State and North Carolina State before turning pro.
Coming into the game, Zavala was listed as the starting guard. Calvin Throckmorton and Nah Jensen are listed as backups on the team’s depth chart. Cade Mays took his place.
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