While there's no doubt Cam Newton will be available for Carolina's opener, there's less certainty surrounding Graham Gano's status.
According to The Athletic, which cited an unidentified league source, the Panthers don't expect the veteran to kick in the team's preseason finale Thursday against the Steelers.
Panthers coach Ron Rivera was optimistic Gano would be ready by the start of the regular season after he missed the final four games of 2018 with a plant leg injury, but the knee soreness he's been dealing with started to escalate the team's concerns when it kept him out of practice this week.
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"It is uneasy, to be honest with you," Rivera said Monday, via the Charlotte Observer. "Because again, you want him to be able to kick to make sure everything's fine. We'll know hopefully in the next day or two."
Gano, 32, has yet to kick in the preseason, so his availability for the regular season opener Sept. 8 will be closely monitored over the next week.
The Panthers brought in former Virginia Tech kicker Joey Slye to handle kicking duties, and he's made all six of his field-goal attempts, including two from more than 50 yards.
If the Panthers do open the season with Slye in that role, that might spell the end for Gano's career with the Panthers. The 32-year-old kicker has spent the past seven seasons with Carolina, making the Pro Bowl in 2017.
The Panthers will host the Rams in the opener.