The Carolina Panthers appear to have found their short-term replacement for injured safety Kurt Coleman.
The team announced Tuesday they signed Jairus Byrd, a former Pro Bowl safety in Buffalo, to help alleviate the sting of losing Coleman, who sprained an MCL against the New England Patriots this past Sunday.
Byrd was a budding super star during his five seasons with the Bills, logging 22 interceptions in 66 starts. After signing a six-year, $56 million deal with the New Orleans Saints prior to the 2014 season, however, Byrd struggled with injuries and disappointing play, leading to his release this past offseason.
With Coleman expected to be sidelined for the next few weeks, Byrd will provide veteran help to a Panthers secondary that featured just three healthy safeties in Mike Adams, Demetrious Cox and Colin Jones.
In order to make room for Byrd on the active roster, the Panthers announced they placed wide receiver Damiere Byrd (broken arm) on injured reserve.