Steve Wilks doubts Jeremy Chinn plays against Falcons

As Panthers safety Jeremy Chinn returned to the practice field, coach Steve Wilks shared his status ahead of the Falcons game. Chinn returned from injured reserve this week after suffering a hamstring injury in Week 4, beginning his 21-day window to return to the team.

Despite the optimism and good news surrounding Chinn’s return, Wilks made sure to temper expectations from fans about seeing him on the field against the Falcons on Thursday night.

Steve Wilks says Jeremy Chinn will not play against Falcons

“He moved around well. Good to see him out there, running around, communicating, talking — and I doubt very likely that I would put him in that situation this week,” explained Wilks.

The hard switch from positives to a definitive “no” on Chinn playing this week appeared to catch the reporters at the press conference off-guard — leading to Wilks clarifying his comments in a hilarious moment.

“I doubt very likely that I would put him in that situation this week to play. With a day of walk-through and he hasn’t practiced or played in six weeks — that’s like really asinine,” added Wilks before giving the press in attendance an annoyed look as a joke.

Even if Chinn won’t suit up on Thursday night, the Panthers have reason to be optimistic for the remainder of the season with him returning to the field soon. Despite starting 2-7 and trading away offensive weapons like Christian McCaffrey and Robby Anderson — the Panthers are only two games out of first place in the NFC South.

Not only have both Panthers wins come against division rivals in the Buccaneers and Saints, both wins came at home — where they will host the Falcons in their rematch game tomorrow.

Chinn, the former second-round draft pick by Carolina in 2020, has been a feature of the Panthers secondary for the past two seasons. As a rookie, Chinn finished second in NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year voting.