Graham Gano will miss the entire 2019 season.
The Panthers already missed the veteran kicker in their preseason finale Thursday against the Steelers, and the team announced Friday that it has now placed Gano on injured reserve.
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 has been dealing with started to escalate the team's concerns when it kept him out of practice this week.
General manager Marty Hurney addressed the blow to Carolina's special teams in a press release that revealed the news.
"Both Graham and the team were optimistic throughout this process that his leg would improve enough to allow him to kick," Hurney said. "Unfortunately, Graham still had pain in his plant leg each time he tried to resume kicking. These are tough decisions, and we discussed all options, but ultimately we decided to place Graham on injured reserve today."
The Panthers brought in former Virginia Tech kicker Joey Slye to handle kicking duties, and he's made seven of his eight field-goal attempts, including three from more than 50 yards.
"It’s super exciting," Gano said when asked about his potential replacement. "We’ve known from Day One here he’s got a super strong leg. I get fired up on the sideline watching him make kicks. I remember being young and wanting those opportunities. It’s cool to see him take advantage of it."
If Carolina does 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.