Former South Carolina receiver Damiere Byrd has been placed on injured reserve and is expected to be out for the season after injuring his leg in the Carolina Panthers’ victory against Tampa Bay on Sunday, coach Ron Rivera announced Tuesday.
Byrd injured his leg on a kickoff return that started the second half and did not return to the game. Rivera called it a lower leg injury,
Earlier in the game, Byrd had a Panthers-record 103-yard touchdown kickoff return. It was the first kick-return touchdown for the Panthers since 2011.
“He’s a playmaker on this team and we can’t go too far without him,” teammate Russell Shepard told the Charlotte Observer.