Matt Rhule announces Bradley Bozeman will miss 2-3 weeks with ankle injury

Carolina Panthers head coach Matt Rhule hit the podium on Wednesday of the team’s joint practices versus the New England Patriots. He revealed center Bradley Bozeman will miss between two to three weeks due to an ankle injury he suffered on Tuesday.

The injury occurred during a team period. Bradley Bozeman went down to the ground and struggled to get off the ground. He then checked out, sought medical attention, and took a cart to the locker room.

Bradley Bozeman joined the Carolina Panthers for the 2022 season, signing a one-year contract with the team this offseason. He was originally a sixth-round pick by the Baltimore Ravens in the 2018 NFL Draft. In Baltimore, he found playing time at left guard until he moved to center in 2021.

Prior to his injury, the new Panthers center was battling for the starting job with returner Pat Eiflen. With his current timetable for return, it sounds like Eiflen may hold the job until Bozeman is healthy. It’s not all bad news though as the former Tide lineman should be back by Sept. 11 for Game One versus the Cleveland Browns.

Bozeman played his college football for the Alabama Crimson Tide, where he was a part of two national championship teams. He went to Alabama as a three-star recruit who developed into a key offensive lineman for the Crimson Tide. As a senior, he had 19 knockdown blocks and just eight missed assignments in 866 snaps.

Panthers, Patriots joint practice erupts with more scuffles Wednesday

The Carolina Panthers and New England Patriots are only in the middle of their joint practices but they’ve already had two consecutive days of fighting. After defensive back Kenny Robinson was ejected for a fight on Tuesday, another scuffle on Wednesday resulted in a second ejection for the former West Virginia standout.

According to reporters watching practice Wednesday, a rough tackle on Panthers running back Christian McCaffrey during 11-on-11 drills led to him throwing the ball at a Patriots player. A fight ensued there, leading to ejections for Panthers running back Chuba Hubbard and Patriots defensive lineman Deatrich Wise.

On the other field, Kenny Robinson stood over Krisitan Wilkerson after the Pats returner went down with an injury on a kickoff return. A fight broke out over that taunting and Wilkerson left the field on a cart.