The recovery of Carolina Panthers linebacker Shaq Thompson was always going to be a process. That process will like continue here through Week 7.
On Wednesday, head coach Matt Rhule all but shot down the possibility of getting one of his defensive leaders back against the New York Giants, stating Thompson is “very doubtful” for this Sunday. He has missed the past two games with a strained plantar fascia.
Tuesday’s six-player workout in Carolina included a pair of linebackers, Anthony Hines and Erroll Thompson. That could, perhaps, indicate the team is looking for some much needed depth in Thompson’s absence for the time being.
Left guard Pat Elflein also likely won’t be ready, as alluded to by Rhule. Rhule told reporters that Elflein suffered a setback “in the weight room” while on the comeback from his hamstring injury. That would, in turn, give Michael Jordan his first start for the Panthers this week.
Here’s how the official injury report returned on the day:
| Injury | Wed. | Thurs. | Fri. | Game status | |
| CB C.J. Henderson | Shoulder | Full | |||
| LB Frankie Luvu | Biceps | Limited | |||
| WR Alex Erickson | Concussion | DNP | |||
| WR Terrace Marshall Jr. | Concussion | DNP | |||
| LB Shaq Thompson | Foot | DNP | |||
| FB Giovanni Ricci | Concussion | DNP |
Additionally, a fresh stint on the injured reserve for Brandon Zylstra, coupled with the concussions sustained by Terrace Marshall Jr. and Alex Erickson, could leave the offense quite short at the receiver position. That left the Panthers with just three wideouts on the practice field for Wednesday—DJ Moore, Robby Anderson and Shi Smith.
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