Panthers receiver Shi Smith taken to medical tent in preseason contest vs. Jets

Carolina Panthers receiver Shi Smith was taken to the medical tent following a collision in Saturday’s preseason game against the New York Jets. Smith was called for a blind-side block on Jets cornerback Javelin Guidry in the third quarter and helped off the field by team trainers.

It’s unclear at this point what the injury was. Smith walked off under his own power but appeared to be favoring his right arm. The South Carolina product is set to enter his third season in the NFL. He is coming off of a season in which he totaled 22 catches for 296 yards and a pair of touchdowns.

Thankfully, Smith returned to the game a few moments later. He caught a 20-yard pass from quarterback Matt Corral early in the fourth quarter.

That catch ended up being his only of the day as the Panthers lost in a 27-0 shutout. Carolina totaled just 160 yards of offense and allowed five sacks as rookie QB Bryce Young went 4-of-6 passing for 21 yards in just three series of action. Derek Wright led the team with three catches for 35 yards.

The Panthers receiving room looks a bit different this season after trading away DJ Moore for the No. 1 pick and the right to draft Young. They signed veterans Adam Thielen and DJ Chark through free agency and also drafted Ole Miss product Jonathan Mingo in the second round.

Shi Smith still figures to see time as a backup with the Panthers this season and should also contribute on special teams. He was Carolina’s lead punt returner this past season with an average of 6.2 yards in 23 returns.

Panthers OL Ikem Ekwonu raves about Bryce Young’s football IQ

Carolina Panthers second-year left tackle Ikem Ekwonu has been extremely impressed with rookie quarterback Bryce Young. Drafted No. 1 overall out of Alabama, Young has showed poise in earning his way to the starting job during training camp.

Specifically, Ekonwu praised the football IQ of Young, which he believes is already NFL-ready. Young got his first chance to show that during the Panthers preseason debut against the Jets, where Ekonwu joined the NFL Network broadcast to explain what he sees out of the QB early on.

“It’s made it a lot easier. His pocket presence is second-to-none,” Ekwonwu said. “The fact that he can sense where the pressure is coming from, sense that he needs to drop back or step up in the pocket, it really helps out the offense a lot.”