A few important reinforcements might be coming at just the right time for the revived Carolina Panthers.
Head coach Dave Canales offered up some injury updates following Wednesday’s practice, their first official session ahead of this weekend’s matchup against the 0-3 Cincinnati Bengals. After cleaning up the details on this afternoon’s injury report, he was asked about the progress of the players who began the 2024 campaign on injured reserve.
“We’re ramping them up, they’re all in the final stages of the evaluation process,” Canales replied. “Some last couple of hurdles for them to clear before we feel like we can put them out there in practice. But they’re all really close.
“Jonathon [Brooks], D.J. Wonnum, Dane Jackson, [Amaré] Barno, all those guys. They’re trending in the right direction. Jaden Crumedy as well. So the guys are there looking really strong. Again, they’re kinda in those final stages. I kinda just wanna leave it at that. But we’re getting close to being able to open the window for those guys.”
Brooks, the team’s second-round pick from this year’s draft, tore his ACL last November while still playing for the University of Texas. He did not fully participate throughout offseason practices and missed the entirety of preseason play.
Wonnum, a free-agent signee from the spring, also has yet to receive the green light. The former Minnesota Viking was projected to be the defense’s second starter at the outside linebacker position next to fellow South Carolina Gamecock Jadeveon Clowney.
After Week 4, players who started the year on injured reserve will have five weeks to return to practice. Once they return, they’ll have 21 days to be activated to the 53-man roster. If either of the deadlines are not reached, the player must miss the remainder of the campaign.
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