Panthers' Ja'Tavion Sanders Released from Hospital After Neck Injury vs. Chiefs

Panthers tight end Ja'Tavion Sanders was carted off the field during Sunday's matchup against the Kansas City Chiefs and taken to the hospital after being tackled and flipped onto his head while fighting for yardage following a first-half reception.

The Panthers confirmed that the rookie fourth-round pick out of Texas had movement in his extremities following the injury.

"He's still under evaluation," head coach Dave Canales told reporters after the game. "But certainly a positive sign. He's coming back here to the facility right now [from hospital]."

The rookie tight end had three receptions for 49 yards during Sunday's contest.

Coming into Sunday, Sanders had notched 26 passes for 253 yards and a score, operating as the team's most threatening tight end. In his absence, Tommy Tremble should see a bump in workload.

Losing Sanders is a big loss, however, as the 3-7 Panthers continue to evaluate the young players they have on the roster while immersed in yet another rebuild. While the playoffs are out of reach, giving rookies like wideout Xavier Legette, running back Jonathon Brooks and Sanders the chance to build a rapport with Bryce Young—a player the Panthers are still evaluating as a potential long-term starter after his struggles to start his career and benching earlier this season—was an important goal for the remainder of the season.

The Panthers have continued to roll with Young after reinstalling him into the starting lineup due to Any Dalton's thumb injury. He's looked like a different player since his benching, leading the Panthers to back-to-back wins before last week's bye.

"This is about the continued progress, Bryce looking more and more confident," Canales told reporters on Monday. "Just an aggressiveness to his play... and of course the end result, winning. He continues to do things to put us in a position to put him back out there and continue to build on that."

Sanders played a major role in those wins, catching four passes for 87 yards in a 23-22 victory over the New Orleans Saints and adding a touchdown in a 20-17 overtime win against the New York Giants.