CHARLOTTE — The Panthers are facing a future without a defensive star and leader for the second time in just four weeks. The club announced on Monday that linebacker Shaq Thompson suffered a season-ending Achilles tear during Sunday's loss to the Cincinnati Bengals.

"I'm just sick for Shaq," head coach Dave Canales said Sunday. "A guy that really just cares so much, plays with so much passion, a vocal leader, somebody who's had my back through this process as I get my feet underneath me as a first-time head coach."

Thompson is a five-time captain for the Panthers and has led the entire defense in tackles thus far this year, with 35 total. There's so much the Panthers don't know right now about Thompson, his injury, his future, and what it means for both the player and the defense. But there is one thing running back Miles Sanders feels with certainty: this isn't the end.

"The Shaq, I know, is not going to; he's not going to back down, and he's not trying to end his career like this either. So, he's not going out like that. And I know he'll be back too."

Shortly after Thompson was injured on the final play of the third quarter, Ejiro Evero's group also lost the other starting middle linebacker, Josey Jewell. That injury was a double whammy, with a groin and a hamstring, according to Canales.

"Two things that he's going to be dealing with here for a couple of weeks," Canales said of Jewell. "So, we do not expect Josey to be up this week (against the Bears)."

While Canales and crew will be adjusting to life without Thompson—and possibly a window of time without Jewell as well—there is good news on the horizon about injuries. The coach revealed on Monday that the team plans to open the window this week for corner Dane Jackson, defensive lineman Jaden Crumedy, and tight end Ian Thomas.

Once players have been designated for return, it opens a three-week window for them to practice. They can be activated at any time in that window. Their return will raise the level of competition as well, which is what Canales is looking forward to most.

"I love what it brings in terms of. We talk about competition all the time, and I love what it brings to our group, just being able to get out there and play fast," Canales said. "Guys who are excited to get back to football, but again, they got to be out there, they got to handle the load, they got, still with all that time, you know, they haven't been on the field with us running our plays and all that.

"So, this is a great opportunity for those guys to get rolling and for us to get a look at them."

The team has yet to be ready to open the window on running back Jonathon Brooks or outside linebacker D.J. Wonnum.

"They're still in the final stages," Canales explained. "They got some, some hurdles that they got to jump before they get back out there on the practice field."

Replacing irreplaceable leadership

Another by-product of Thompson's injury is that the Panthers have lost two captains to season-ending injuries, with Derrick Brown being the first. Sam Franklin Jr., also a captain, started the season on injured reserve.

"To have the support of veteran guys like this, that stand for the right things and people that I can talk to, people that I can ask to lead a charge for this thing or that thing that we're looking to get more of," Canales said of Thompson.

"So, a guy that stood for all those things, Panthers football all the way through and through. So really just, personally and then, of course, he's a fantastic communicator and player."

In Brown's and now Thompson's absence, Xavier Woods says the defense is leaning on each other, with the foundation their leaders put in place.

"This is a group of guys that, there's no pride, no ego," Woods said Monday. "So, we're just going to lean on each other, and we are just going to go out there and battle, rely on each other, play team ball out there, and, at this point, I mean, we won't have those guys, and so it's kind of like next man up, next man up. That's what the NFL football is."

Even though Thompson was on defense, his captaincy helped lead the entire team. So, on that side of the ball, Miles Sanders points to himself and Chuba Hubbard as two players with voices ready to take the reins of that leadership.

"If I'm being honest, I won't say I'm a leader, but me and Chuba, we take pride in setting the tone in practice and picking up the practice when energy is low. We take pride in, you know, setting the tone in practice, picking up the practice when the energy is low, and just running the ball.

"We don't really say too much. But I'm pretty sure everybody, a lot of people on the team, can cosign what I'm saying. But me and Chuba enjoy setting the tone and practicing."

A chance for the young buck

With Thompson out, the Panthers are turning to rookie linebacker Trevin Wallace. Wallace received a significant amount of playing time in the preseason. He saw his regular season snap number bump on Sunday, coming in for Thompson and playing 25 defensive snaps in the fourth quarter. That number is about to increase ten-fold, giving the third-round pick in this past April's NFL draft a chance to prove his mettle.

"Big, fast, physical player; you could tell he just loves to play football," Canales praised. "Even this year if, as he's been on special teams and the roles that we've given him on the defensive side, just flying around making plays. So, a great opportunity for him to get in there to communicate, to get the calls, and to be able to just get his feet on the ground and play football. So, I'm really excited for him."

Second-year linebacker Claudin Cherelus, who finished the game alongside Wallace yesterday, will continue to take those Jewell snaps for now.

"A guy that really saw, really took strides in camp and a guy that we're definitely looking forward to seeing out there to play football, for he and Trevin to start communicating and be able to work with the whole group," Canales said

The good and the bad for Xavier Woods

Xavier Woods had two plays against the Bengals on Sunday on vastly different ends of the spectrum. The first, a would-be tackle against Ja'Marr Chase, that saw the Bengals receiver easily bounce off Woods and scamper 63-yards for the touchdown. The ball from Joe Burrow was only around 14 yards on air. Woods was the first contact for Chase, after which he ran another 49-yards.

Woods broke down the play on Monday, explaining what went wrong.

"I was on track, and kind of, I talked to the coaches about it; I went to use my right shoulder, which I'm more of a right shoulder tackler instead of a left shoulder tackler, and, you know, went to use my right shoulder. He moved a little bit, so my target was off by the time I lowered my head to keep my head out of it. He moved, and I missed; that's really it.

"I was on track; my track was right. I really just missed the tackle. I think I hit him in the shoulders but, I mean, he's a big guy, he's a bigger guy. He's not just going to go down easy, and it's really more, so I just missed my target."

Woods, who had 12 penalties over the last three seasons, including five for unnecessary roughness, admitted he was trying to be cognizant of not drawing a flag on the play, which saw him dive towards Chase.

"My intention this year was to not get a flag and not get any flag because I know I got flags all last year on those.

"But they came back the day after and said it was clean, but in the midst of a game that hurts my team. So, my goal this year was to stay clean, hit in the chest. So that's why it's kind of like my head was down a bit, but I hit with my shoulders. And so, I really just, I mean, there's no excuse, I just missed it. Those are players that I've made just yesterday; I just missed that one."

Woods attempted to balance the scales later in the game when he picked off a Burrow pass meant for Chase and returned it 33-yards.

"We were in man coverage, and I think Clowney missed a sack. He rushed him outside of the pocket, where he scrambled back to the right, and Chase was coming open. I think Chase ended up cutting back the opposite way. I think Burrow was kind of expecting him to do something different. I think Burrow just let it go a little bit earlier. It's all about just catching the ball and then just trying to get upfield.

"The guys gave me a hard time because they said I should have just stayed to the right," Woods joked. "But I don't feel like there was a couple of guys in the way on the right. So I was trying to cut back, but then once I felt like the play was over with, I just got down."