Carolina Panthers waive defensive back JT Ibe following injury inducing hit

Tuesday marked the first day of training camp in pads for the Carolina Panthers and there’s already drama.

Defensive back J.T. Ibe delivered a helmet-to-helmet hit on wide receiver Keith Kirkwood that resulted in Kirkwood being carted off the field. Ibe was initially kicked out of practice for the hit, and the Panthers have now waived him from their roster, according to Adam Schefter.

Kirkwood was on the ground for roughly 10 minutes after Ibe hit him head-to-head while he attempted to catch a pass in the air. He was later carted off and taken by ambulance to a local hospital. He did have movement in his arms and legs with no pain in his neck as he was carted off.

The fourth-year receiver appeared in just one contest in 2020 due to a couple of shoulder injuries. He was an undrafted out of Hawaii in 2018. Kirkwood signed with the Panthers last April and re-signed on another one-year deal in the offseason. He has 14 career receptions for 222 yards and two touchdowns in his 10 career games.

Kirkwood was brought back to build depth behind leading receiving options DJ Moore and Robby Anderson for the Panthers. With Curtis Samuel leaving to sign with the Washington Football Team in free agency, the need for additional receiver depth is important.

Ibe was an undrafted free agent signing after playing college ball at South Carolina. He was reprimanded by Carolina’s coaching staff before exiting the field.

Rhule, Darnold comment on the incident

Panthers head coach Matt Rhule said that Ibe’s hit on Kirkwood was “completely unacceptable.” He also said that players can’t be “teeing off” on other players, according to The Associated Press writer Steve Reed. Rhule did not comment on Ibe’s future at the time, but around 15 minutes later, Ibe was waived by the Panthers.   

Carolina quarterback Sam Darnold was acquired from the New York Jets in the offseason. Darnold was the third-overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft. He did not have a strong supporting cast around him in New York, so Darnold is expected to make improvements in Carolina. Darnold’s inconsistencies from New York have carried over though, and he has shown struggles thus far in Panthers camp with two interceptions Monday.

According to Reed, Darnold said that the Ibe hit on Kirkwood could serve as a lesson for the Panthers. “It’s practice and we are on the same team,” Darnold said.

The incident was a tough way to begin padded practices for the Panthers. Ibe will now be looking for a new team in the coming days.

Image courtesy of: Grant Halverson via Getty Images.