Veteran center Ryan Kalil is ready to begin his final season. Having previously announced his intentions to retire after 2018, the Carolina Panthers are being cautious with their long-time captain.
The one center quarterback Cam Newton has known for a majority of his career, Carolina had hoped to limit his preseason exposure. After battling multiple injuries over the past few seasons, including a neck injury that sidelined him for 10 games last year, ensuring Kalil can stay on the field in 2018 will be key to the Panthers success.
Backup Tyler Larsen started in Kalil’s absence last week and was initially scheduled to carry a majority of the workload throughout these first four preseason games.