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For a second consecutive year, Carolina Panthers standout middle linebacker Dan Morgan will finish a season on injured reserve.

Dan Morgan

Linebacker
Carolina Panthers

Profile

2007 Season Stats

Tot	Solo	Ast	FF	Sack	Int
22	16	6	0	0	0

The seven-year veteran, who has not played since suffering a partially torn Achilles tendon in the third game of the season, was placed on injured reserve Wednesday, the latest setback in a star-crossed career.

A first-round choice in the 2001 draft, the seven-year veteran has never appeared in more than 13 games in a season. The latest injury means that Morgan, 28, will have appeared in just four games the past two seasons. He missed all but one contest in 2006 because of a concussion suffered in the opening game.

"It's obviously disappointing and frustrating for Dan, and it's disappointing for us, too," general manager Marty Hurney said on Wednesday afternoon. "He tried to rehabilitate it for six weeks with no significant improvement, so he decided to undergo surgery."

Rookie Jon Beason, the Panthers' first-round draft choice, will continue to start at middle linebacker. Like Morgan, the aggressive Beason is a former University of Miami star, and has played well for the Panthers.

The 11th overall player chosen in the 2001 draft, Morgan has suffered at least four documented concussions in his NFL career, and has missed considerable playing time. Counting this season, Morgan will have missed 53 games in his career, while playing in only 59 contests, all starts.

Morgan last year bought a hyperbaric chamber in an effort to speed his recovery from training camp practices, but has still been unable to avoid injuries. When healthy, he is one of the NFL's top middle linebackers, a defender blessed with great quickness and the ability to play the run and the pass equally well.

For his career, Morgan has 454 tackles, seven sacks, five interceptions, 17 passes defensed, three forced fumbles and six fumble recoveries. He registered 22 tackles in the three games in which he appeared this season.

The Panthers promoted fullback Billy Latsko from the practice squad to take Morgan's place on the 53-man roster. The team also signed quarterback Drew Olson to the practice squad to provide depth with David Carr and Vinny Testaverde banged up.

Olson, who played at UCLA, went undrafted in 2006 and spent last season on Baltimore's practice squad. He played for Amsterdam in NFL Europa last summer, then was cut by the Ravens on Aug. 28.

The Panthers might need Olson just to practice Wednesday. Carr suffered a concussion in Sunday's loss to Tennessee and his status this week is uncertain. Testaverde sat out Sunday's game with a right Achilles tendon injury. That left undrafted rookie Matt Moore, who signed with the team in September, as the only healthy quarterback.

Original starter Jake Delhomme is out for the season after undergoing surgery on his right elbow.

Senior writer Len Pasquarelli covers the NFL for ESPN.com. The Associated Press contributed to this report.