Carolina Panthers tight end Hayden Hurst’s career is in major doubt since he was entered into concussion protocol nearly a month ago.
Hayden Hurst’s father, Jerry Hurst, posted on social media Wednesday that the Carolina Panthers tight end has been diagnosed with Post Traumatic Amnesia by an independent neurologist. It stems from a hit he took during a November loss against the Chicago Bears.
“Slow recovery, don’t know when he’ll be back,” he wrote. “Prayers appreciated!”
The elder Hurst made his announcement the same day Hayden returned to practice. Hurst had been marked as a non-participant for weeks due to a concussion on the Panthers’ injury report, but he was labeled as a limited participant Wednesday.
Hurst is set to miss his fourth straight game.
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Hurst is in his first season with the Panthers after signing a three-year, $21.7 million deal with the team last offseason. When healthy he registered 18 catches for 184 yards and a touchdown as Bryce Young’s top option during his rookie campaign.
The former first-round pick played the previous five seasons with the Baltimore Ravens, Atlanta Falcons, and Cincinnati Bengals, posting 1,718 receiving yards and 14 touchdowns.
His best NFL season came in 2020 with Atlanta, when he caught 56 passes for 571 yards and six touchdowns.
You can see the hit that likely caused Hurst’s injury below:
The Panthers have struggled this year to the tune of a 1-11 record and already fired first-year head coach Frank Reich amid myriad offensive issues.
