Etienne (ankle) was placed on injured reserve by the Panthers on Sunday with a designation to return, Darin Gantt of the team's official website reports.
Etienne suffered an ankle injury in Friday's preseason finale versus Houston, and he will now be forced to miss at least four contests while on IR. The running back was expected to operate as a depth option behind Chuba Hubbard (hamstring) and Jonathan Brooks to open the season, so in his absence, AJ Dillon will likely slot in as the No. 3 option. Additionally, Etienne has operated as the team's primary return specialist on both kicks and punts, so Carolina will have to find replacements there for the time being.