The Sports Xchange

SPARTANBURG, S.C. — The diagnosis on Carolina Panthers defensive tackle Star Lotulelei wasn’t great, but it could have been worse.

Seven hours after he was carted off the practice field, the team announced Monday night that Lotulelei has a stress reaction in his right foot.

“We are going to be cautious. He is in a walking boot and we will re-evaluate his foot in a few weeks,” Panthers trainer Ryan Vermillion said in a statement.

A stress fracture generally keeps players out four to six weeks. A stress reaction is less severe, so Lotulelei has a good chance to make it back in time for the season opener 41 days from Monday in Jacksonville.

Because Lotulelei broke a bone in the same foot in January, the initial concern was Carolina’s vital run-stuffer sustained a similar injury. It didn’t look promising when he later limped into the Wofford student center wearing a walking boot.

However, Lotulelei spent the next 45 minutes chatting and joking with teammates while team trainers and doctors huddled to evaluate his latest setback.

“It just started to get sore, and so (team doctor Robert Anderson) decided it’d be better to take him in,” coach Ron Rivera said moments after practice ended. “We’re being very optimistic about it. We might be a bit overly protective.”

–Defensive tackle Kawann Short, out since Saturday with back spasms, will be re-evaluated in Charlotte on Tuesday during the team’s day off.

“He’s close,” Rivera said. “They took an MRI the other day, and that came up negative, so that was a good thing. Now it’s just the process of working him back into shape.”

–Cornerback Charles Tillman showed his new teammates he is still really good at what he has done so many times.

In practice, quarterback Cam Newton and running back Jonathan Stewart were each victims of the “Peanut Punch,” a Tillman trademark that has produced 42 forced fumbles.

Stewart said he was kind of shocked because he had two hands on the ball.

“He’s the best at it. He’s going to make us a great team for it,” Stewart added.