A player never wants to get more playing time because of an injury, but that’s what happened to Panthers rookie safety Rashaan Gaulden on Friday night against Miami.
Starting safety Da’Norris Searcy, a consistent and stable presence in the defensive backfield, left the game in the first quarter after a badly angled hit and entered the concussion protocol.
So Gaulden, who has been relearning the safety position and the team’s big nickel sub-package, entered the game a little earlier than he otherwise would have.
“Just as a secondary we have the ‘next man up’ mindset,” Gaulden said.