Carolina Panthers starting wideout Kelvin Benjamin tore his left knee ACL during a joint practice with the Miami Dolphins on Wednesday morning and will undergo a season-ending procedure, as reported by ESPN.

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"Obviously, we feel awful for Kelvin," team GM Dave Gettleman said of their sophomore sensation. "He's worked tremendously hard to put himself in a position to have a strong year. We're confident he will attack his surgery and rehab with the same determination he has met all challenges before."

The 24-year-old Benjamin, who looked good scoring a touchdown during the Panthers opening preseason win against the Buffalo Bills in Friday last week, was casually running beside Dolphin's safety Reshad Jones when he tried to change directions quickly. He suddenly fell down on his own, clutching his left knee in pain.

Panthers' head coach Ron Rivera initially thought it was only a sprained knee, as per the league's official website, but MRI results revealed what the 53-year-old coach was dreading of for his wideout at this stage of the year: an ACL tear.

Yahoo Sports indicated that Carolina superstar quarterback Cam Newton helped secure Benjamin on the cart as he was rushed to the hospital for treatment.

Picked 28th overall in the first round of last year's draft, Benjamin flourished last season as a rookie behind his inimitable and effective tandem with Newton. The 26-year-old signal caller was reportedly looking forward to another productive year with his favorite pass receiver, but as it turned out he will have to wait one year before the duo can get things going again.

NFL analysts believe that the loss of Benjamin would be highly difficult for the Panthers as the team is not deep in the wide receiver position. Carolina's best option to replace their no. 1 receiver would be rookie Devin Funchess, the 41st overall selection of this year's draft from Michigan.

However, it was recently reported that Funchess also suffered a mild hamstring injury before practice ended on Wednesday and so he will not be available in the joint training on Thursday.

Rivera, Newton, and the rest of the Panthers are aiming for a third consecutive NFC South title this coming season. Without their best bet at wide receiver, the path to their goal had just become so much more challenging.

TagsNFL, NFL 2015, NFL news, NFL News 2015, NFL rumors, NFL Rumors 2015, Kelvin Benjamin, Carolina Panthers