The Carolina Panthers are juggling fines and injuries as head coach Dave Canales reshapes his lineup ahead of the home opener.

The NFL penalized two Panthers defenders on September 20 following their Week 2 loss against the Arizona Cardinals. It fined Jaycee Horn $11,593 for taunting and Claudin Cherelus $5,722 for blindside blocking, both infractions missed during the game but flagged in post-game review.

Horn’s fine stemmed from a second-quarter incident where he forced Cardinals running back James Conner out of bounds. After the play ended, the 25-year-old walked up and slapped the ball out of Conner’s hands, an unsportsmanlike move meant to provoke.

Though officials didn’t flag it during the game, the NFL reviewed the footage and issued the fine. Then came Claudin.

During the third quarter, Claudin Cherelus committed a blindside block on a kickoff return. The hit violated player safety rules, which prohibit initiating contact from outside a player’s field of vision.

Both fines reflect the NFL’s crackdown on provoking and unsafe conduct. Horn is among eight players previously fined for taunting in the first two games of the season.

With discipline aside, the Panthers are facing major roster challenges.

After the Atlanta Falcons posted six sacks against the Minnesota Vikings, the Panthers’ head coach now has to prepare his offense without two key linemen. Robert Hunt (biceps) and Austin Corbett (knee), both injured last week.

Dave Canales’ Panthers crackdown

The Panthers are facing a major setback after losing veteran linemen Robert Hunt and Austin Corbett to fourth-quarter injuries in their 27-22 loss to the Cardinals. Both were placed on injured reserve. For head coach Canales, the toughest blow isn’t league fines, it’s losing key locker room leaders.

Hunt, a six-year vet with the Dolphins and Panthers, has one Pro Bowl to his name. Corbett, in his eighth season with the Panthers, Rams, and Browns, was part of the Rams’ Super Bowl run. Their absence leaves a leadership and stability gap in Carolina’s interior line at a critical time.

Canales acknowledged the impact of losing Hunt and Corbett: “So two studs, two guys that we count in the locker room, on the field, their leadership, their positivity, their hard work, all those things, we’re certainly going to miss those guys being out there,” the coach said.

To fill the void, the Panthers promoted Brandon Walton from the practice squad. Walton, familiar with line coaches Joe Gilbert and Harold Goodwin from Tampa Bay, spent last season with Carolina and was active for one game. They also signed center Nick Samac off the Ravens’ practice squad, though he’s still getting up to speed.

For Sunday’s home opener, Cade Mays will start at center, Chandler Zavala at right guard, with Brady Christensen and Yosh Nijman available off the bench.

Carolina’s offensive line depth will be tested immediately. At 0-2, the Panthers are hoping to secure their first win of the season, a true test of resilience under head coach Dave Canales.