JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Outside linebacker Marquis Haynes Sr. remained in Florida after the Panthers boarded the plane home for Charlotte, following a frightening fall in the third quarter of the loss to the Jaguars.
The 30-year-old Haynes was taken to Baptist Medical Center for more tests, after he was carted off the field and checked for a concussion.
He will remain at the hospital overnight for observation.
He flashed a thumbs-up signal as he was carted off the field, but details were short in the moments after the game. He landed flat on his back, tried to get up, fell back down, before rising to one knee and falling again. Teammates stood by quietly during the long delay, before he was taken for treatment.
Teammate Brian Burns, a close friend of Haynes, called it a "scary moment," as players huddled around while Haynes was being treated.
"Any time one of your brothers go down, it's always a scary moment," Burns said. "You always send a prayer in the air, you know, trying to keep them covered."
Haynes has battled a back issue all year, beginning early in training camp. He did a stint on injured reserve, returned midseason, and has played in seven games this season.
"There's times I tell him like, man, be smart," Burns said. "Because it's bigger than football, you got kids and you want to be able to play with them after your career is said and done. So you don't want any major injuries to hinder that. So I just always tell him be smart.
"But he's definitely a team player. He's out there banged up, a lot of guys are banged up, but you know, his injury is a little more complicated than most."
View all the action from the Panthers' game against the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 17.
