Concussion confirmed

Hurst is in the NFL's concussion protocol and didn't practice Wednesday.

Joe Person of The Athletic previously reported Tuesday that Hurst had entered the protocol at some point following the Panthers' Week 10 loss to the Bears, but it wasn't until the release of Wednesday's injury report that the team confirmed as much. Given that Hurst wasn't able to practice in any fashion to begin Week 11 prep, he may struggle to clear all five steps of the protocol in advance of Sunday's game against the Cowboys. If Hurst is sidelined this weekend, Tommy Tremble would likely serve as Carolina's top tight end, and the Panthers could get Ian Thomas (calf) back from injured reserve to bolster depth at the position.