The Carolina Panthers second-round pick has a more serious injury than first thought.
Panthers head coach Dave Canales announced Aug. 16 that rookie pass rusher Nic Scourton will miss some time after being diagnosed with a collapsed lung.
The team’s athletic training staff initially thought Scourton, who was drafted out of Texas A&M, was suffering from heat exhaustion on Aug. 14 at a joint practice with the Houston Texans under sweltering Texas heat. Scourton left the field midway through practice. But medical staff checked Scourton later that night at the hotel and had him taken to a nearby hospital, where he spent the night.
He wasn’t with the team at NRG Stadium for the preseason matchup with the Texans Aug. 16. His condition kept him from flying as air travel can worsen lung-related issues, Caneles said. The Texans won 20-3 in that game, which saw Texans’ quarterback C.J. Stroud throw a touchdown pass.
GettyINDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA – FEBRUARY 26: Nic Scourton #DL65 of Texas A&M speaks to the media during the 2025 NFL Combine at the Indiana Convention Center on February 26, 2025 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Justin Casterline/Getty Images)
Nic Scourton’s Recovery Time Listed as ‘Week-to-Week’
“It was a very physical play,” Canales said. “It was presenting like a heat exhaustion, because he was having trouble breathing. He was getting tired and all that, so we kind of cooled him down we couldn’t get him to respond good enough to where we felt comfortable about putting him back into practice.”
Denny Kellington, vice president of player health and performance for the Panthers, described Scourton’s recovery time as “week to week,” Canales said. Typical recovery time before a return to play for this injury can be from 2 to 10 weeks.
“I’ve heard from trainers, from different coaches, where a guy played the next week,” Canales said. “So we’ve got to be smart on that one and let you know where we’re at once we get back to Charlotte.”
A collapsed lung, or pneumothorax, happens when there’s air in the space between your chest wall and your lung. The air can build up and press against your lung, causing it to partially or fully collapse, according to the Cleveland Clinic. Football players can suffer from this injury from getting hit too hard.
Nic Scourton is Having a Standout Training Camp
Scourton, a Bryan, Texas native, was a star at Texas A&M, where he transferred to from Purdue before the 2024 season. Considered to be playing at a heavy weight, Scourton was part of a much improved Texas A&M run defense, known for getting to the ball carrier. He dropped over 30 pounds in the lead up to the NFL Draft.
GettyCHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA – AUGUST 08: Linebacker Nic Scourton #11 of the Carolina Panthers looks on in the first half during the NFL Preseason 2025 game against the Cleveland Browns at Bank of America Stadium on August 08, 2025 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)
Scourton was expected to be a Panthers starting outside linebacker and had an impressive training camp and debut in the preseason, which he will surely be sidelined for the rest of. During the first week of the preseason against the Cleveland Browns, Scourton showed grit when he covered more than 70 yards on a single snap before getting Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders. He also recorded his first career preseason sack.
The Panthers will now have to lean on fellow rookie Princely Umanmielen to help Patrick Jones II, DJ Wonnum, and Derrick Brown in the pass rush.
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