The Broncos' Week 9 trip to Carolina turned costly fast. Wide receiver Jaylen Waddle and cornerback Riley Moss both suffered concussions in the first half against the Panthers and were ruled out for the remainder of the game, per AP reporting carried by Yahoo Sports.

Waddle went to the locker room after a scary collision — Panthers safety Zakee Wheatley struck Waddle's facemask with the crown of his helmet as the receiver leapt for a ball. Moss entered the concussion protocol around the same stretch and did not return either.

The injuries land in the middle of a game Denver entered with real momentum: the Broncos arrived on a four-game winning streak, tied for the NFL's best, facing a floundering Carolina side at Bank of America Stadium. Broncos fans traveled well, filling out sections of the stands in orange and blue, and Bo Nix got the ball first after Carolina won the toss and deferred.

Denver had already declared seven players inactive before kickoff, so the concussions thin out an offense and secondary that were short-handed to begin with. Both players will now go through the league's return-to-play protocol ahead of Week 10.