CHARLOTTE – Guard Trai Turner was placed in the concussion protocol following Carolina's victory over Minnesota.
"On Monday, he came in and talked to (head athletic trainer Ryan Vermillion) and they put him right into the protocol," head coach Ron Rivera said.
Turner was not at practice Wednesday. The two-time Pro Bowler hasn't missed a game since his rookie year in 2014.
While Turner is in the protocol, the Panthers are evaluating their options for a replacement, which include Amini Silatolu, Tyler Larsen and rookie Taylor Moton.
"We'll work those guys and just kind of go through it and see," Rivera said. "Both Amini and Tyler have experience playing the position for us. We have a couple good options."
Silatolu has 15 career starts at guard for Carolina. Larsen, the team's backup center, played five games at guard last season.
THOMPSON PROGRESSING: Linebacker Shaq Thompson did not participate in Wednesday's practice as he continues to deal with plantar fasciitis. Thompson did not play against the Vikings but hopes to return against the Packers this week.
"It helped, definitely, to get some rest," said Thompson, adding that he's dealt with occasional foot pain since college. "It sucked not being out there with my brothers, but they handled business. I love the way they played."
If Thompson is unavailable again this week, Rivera is confident in safety Colin Jones' ability to step in like he did versus Minnesota.
"When Shaq went down there was no hesitation to have him in and use the 'Frog' package," Rivera said. "A lot of it is the flow of what's happening on the field. The idea behind it is you have a bigger guy (at nickel) in case they want to run the ball… You feel a little more comfortable playing against the run."
MUNNERLYN MISSING: Nickel cornerback Captain Munnerlyn, who has been frustrated with his playing time throughout the season, was a late arrival for practice and exited shortly after.
When asked about his absence, Munnerlyn deferred questions to Rivera, who called it a "personal situation."
View photos from the week of practice leading up to the Panthers' game against the Packers.
