The Panthers placed punter Andy Lee on their injured-reserve list Monday after Lee suffered a hamstring injury that knocked him out of Sunday’s loss to the Chiefs -- and affected the team’s decision making late in that game.
The Panthers acquired Lee and a seventh-round pick from the Browns last summer for a 2018 fourth-round pick. That’s a heavy price to pay for a punter, but Lee has a proven track record and was good again this season. His 49.1-yard average ranks fourth-best in the NFL, and he also ranks in the top 10 in punts landed inside the 20.
The Panthers play Thursday night vs. the Saints, so they had to move quickly in replacing Lee.
Michael Palardy, who had been in camp with the Panthers trying to win the punting job before the team acquired Lee, was signed to replace him. Palardy went to the Browns after the Lee trade in trying to win their punting job, and he spent time this season on the practice squad with both the Browns and the Falcons.