Panthers Designate S Juston Burris to Return from Reserve/Injured List
Tuesday evening, the Carolina Panthers announced that they have designated safety Juston Burris (ribs) to return from the reserve/injured list. The team will have a 21-day window to activate him or he will be placed on the season-ending IR.
In six games this season, Burris has totaled 24 tackles, two tackles for loss, two pass breakups, and one interception which was a game-sealing pick vs Atlanta. He exited the game vs the Chicago Bears in week six and hasn't played since, being placed on the injured reserve list.
The Panthers have certainly missed his presence during this stretch of MVP-caliber quarterbacks, but undrafted free agent rookie Sam Franklin has filled in nicely during Burris' absence and has potentially earned himself a role in the defense even when Burris returns. In his three starts Franklin has racked up 14 tackles, one tackle for loss, one pass breakup, and one sack.
A couple of weeks ago, Rhule told reporters that he expects Burris to return before the end of the season barring any setbacks. If they ride out the 21-day window as long as they can, Burris wouldn't return until they travel to Minnesota on the 29th or they could activate him, let him get reacclimatized during the bye week following the game vs the Vikings and play against Denver on December 13th. There is a possibility that he returns much sooner, but rib injuries are always hard to figure out.
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