Panthers' Hayden Hurst: Placed in concussion protocol

Hurst entered the NFL's concussion protocol during this past Thursday's 16-13 loss to the Bears, a league source tells Joe Person of The Athletic.

Panthers head coach Frank Reich hasn't confirmed that Hurst was placed in the protocol, but the tight end's status could get cleared up when the team releases its first Week 11 injury report Wednesday. Hurst finished the Week 10 contest with two catches for 14 yards on four targets and has moved into a time share with Tommy Tremble, with both players logging north of 30 percent of the offensive snaps over the past four games. If Hurst can't go Sunday against the Cowboys, Tremble would likely serve as the Panthers' primary tight end, though Ian Thomas (calf) could also factor into the mix after he was designated for return from injured reserve last week.