Carolina Panthers Pro Bowl defensive lineman Derrick Brown will need surgery on his knee and could miss the remainder of the season.

Panthers coach Dave Canales had said Monday that Brown will get a second opinion before deciding to have surgery to repair his meniscus: “Definitely a huge loss .. He’s one of our best players. That’s big shoes to fill. At the same time, we encourage [to whoever is playing] go in with great technique and just do your job. We don’t need you to make the special plays that Derrick makes. Just do your job. That’s the truth of it. If you play team football with a bunch of guys you can have success.” The surgery will determine how long Brown will be out, but the source confirmed his season is likely over.

Brown injured his meniscus in the Panthers’ 47-10 loss to the Saints, though it was unclear when Brown suffered the injury. Canales confirmed that Brown “isn’t really sure” when the injury occurred. “It’s a physical game … When you play interior there’s a lot of funky positions you get into.”  Brown played 60 of Carolina’s 66 snaps in its worst opening-day loss in team history and fourth-largest margin of defeat overall.

Brown’s injury comes after Carolina gave the No. 7 overall pick in 2020 a four-year, $96 million extension earlier this offseason. Brown was selected one of the team’s defensive captains last week.

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