Loss of Beason Could Devastate Carolina Panther Defense

After starting every game in his first four seasons for the Carolina Panthers, Pro Bowl middle linebacker Jon Beason is out for the season with an Achilles injury.

The news is a crushing blow for a Carolina defense that looked vulnerable on Sunday versus Arizona, while the offense and new QB Cam Newton were racking up yards seemed much improved.

Beason injured his left Achilles chasing Cardinals TE and former Panther Jeff King in the open field. King was running on a 48-yard touchdown catch in the third quarter of Arizona's 28-21 victory over the Panthers.

Beason had offseason surgery on the same foot for a bone bruise that was originally diagnosed as Achilles tendinitis, and it was not known if the injury was related to the surgery. Doctors had told Beason to rest for three to four weeks, but the fiery linebacker came back in less than three weeks to play in the opening game.

Beason was starting in his 65th consecutive game. The three-time Pro Bowler is the captain and vocal leader of the Panthers' defense.

Star wide receiver Steve Smith, who had his best performance in years and showed great chemistry with Newton, said the injury to Beason was a huge blow, yet in some ways was an encouraging statement about the attitude of this year's Panthers team.

"I'm just happy and honored to be on this team because we had guys out there that were blowing out tires to fight," Smith said. "It doesn't get any better than that. You don't get guys in the locker room like that. It rarely comes and when you have a guy who does that you surely miss him."

Beason will be replaced at MLB by Dan Conner, who came in after the injury to Beason and looked good with six tackles in just 18 plays. Conner has starting experience, as he played middle linebacker much of last year when the Panthers experimented by moving Beason to outside LB after a long injury to OLB Thomas Davis.

"You can pretty much imagine what it's going to be like to lose a leader like Jon," said Davis, who missed most of the previous two years with a torn knee ligament but was back and looked healthy Sunday. "He's a guy who comes in day-in and day-out and gives you everything he has. But we have some guys who have to step up now."

Conner is known as ferocious against the run but slow in pass coverage, unlike the speedy Beason. Conner will have to play at a higher level than ever or the Panthers will have to bring in help at linebacker after losing Jon Beason for the season.

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