JT Ibe comments following release from Carolina Panthers

Free agent defensive back JT Ibe has made his first comments following Tuesday’s release from the Carolina Panthers.

Ibe was remorseful for the play

Reports initially came out on Tuesday saying that Ibe had been kicked out of practice following a bad hit on fourth-year wide receiver Keith Kirkwood. Kirkwood jumped to make a catch, and Ibe hit him helmet-to-helmet as he came down. Kirkwood was on the ground for roughly 10 minutes before he was carted off the field and taken to a hospital.

Ibe said on Tuesday that he did not intend to deliver that kind of hit on Kirkwood. He added he feels bad about what happened in a conversation late Tuesday with Jonathan M. Alexander of the Charlotte Observer.

“I just felt bad, I looked at him when I landed, and I just felt bad,” Ibe said. “I asked the trainers to tell him I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to hit him like that. It wasn’t intentional at all and I’m praying he’s OK. Obviously, I’m in an emotional state right now, but at the end of the day it’s not about me. It’s about Keith being OK.”

Ibe was reprimanded by on the field by Carolina’s coaching staff before being kicked out of practice and later released. Panthers head coach Matt Rhule called Ibe’s hit on Kirkwood “completely unacceptable,” saying that players can’t be “teeing off” on other players.

New Panthers quarterback Sam Darnold also said that those kinds of things can’t happen.

“It’s practice and we are on the same team,” Darnold said.

Kirkwood was back with the team on Wednesday

Kirkwood did have movement in his arms and legs and had no pain in his neck as he was taken away from the field. Later on Tuesday afternoon, Alexander reported that Kirkwood had been released from the hospital and was diagnosed with a concussion. He was able to return to team facilities later in the day.

The Panthers announce that Keith Kirkwood is back on campus and was diagnosed with a concussion.

— Jonathan M Alexander (@jonmalexander) August 3, 2021

It is unclear exactly how long Kirkwood will be out for. It is encouraging, though, that he avoided injuries outside of he concussion and was able to leave the hospital and return to the team just hours after taking on the hit from Ibe.

Kirkwood was an undrafted free agent in 2018, starting his career with the New Orleans Saints. He signed with the Panthers in April. In 10 career NFL games, Kirkwood has 14 receptions for 222 yards and two touchdowns.

Image courtesy of: Jacob Kupferman via Getty Images.