Tag: Carolina Panthers

Former Panthers WR set to make his Cowboys debut in Week 12

WR Jonathan Mingo, who was traded by the Panthers last week, is expected to make his Cowboys debut on Monday night.

A former Carolina Panthers wideout is about to hit the reset button on his NFL career.

Jonathan Mingo, now a member of the Dallas Cowboys, is expected to make his team debut this Monday night against the Houston Texans. Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy confirmed the news about the second-year receiver on Thursday afternoon.

The Panthers selected Mingo with the 39th overall pick of the 2023 NFL draft. He’d go on to appear in 24 games with Carolina, amassing just 539 yards and no touchdowns on 55 receptions.

Mingo was traded to Dallas last Tuesday, just a few hours before the league trade deadline.

Panthers president of football operations and general manager Dan Morgan explained the deal a day later.

“Great player, still a developing player,” Morgan said of Mingo. “Thought it was a good deal between us and Dallas. They get a young player that they can grow and develop and we get a draft pick we’re happy with. So, I think it was a win-win for both sides.”

Morgan and the Panthers received a 2025 fourth-round pick for Mingo and a 2025 seventh-round pick.

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Panthers beat writer predicts Andy Dalton will ‘get another crack’ as starting QB

Will the Panthers still give QB Andy Dalton another shot this season? One team beat writer seems to think so.

Perhaps only Carolina Panthers head coach Dave Canales knows the method behind his madness of not committing to Bryce Young as the team’s starting quarterback. But one writer might have a beat on it.

Joe Person of The Athletic opined on Wednesday that veteran Andy Dalton, even despite Young’s recent string of success, will “get another crack” under center at some point this season.

He writes:

This was among my predictions for the second half of the season. The Panthers are about to enter a murderer’s row schedule stretch against Kansas City, Tampa Bay and Philadelphia. If Young stumbles in one or more of those, don’t be surprised to see the Red Rifle behind center again, even though the more prudent play would be to stick with Young to see if he can be the guy going forward.

Dalton took over in Week 3, where he’d throw for 319 yards and three touchdowns in a 36-22 win against the Las Vegas Raiders. But the quality of play would digress over the next four outings, as the 14th-year quarterback averaged 167.5 passing yards per game with four scores and six picks in four straight losses.

A minor car accident at the beginning of Week 8 would result in a right thumb injury for Dalton, giving way for Young’s return to the lineup. Since then, the Panthers have gone 2-1 while Young has passed for 521 yards, four touchdowns and three interceptions.

Nonetheless, Canales did not commit to Young following this past Sunday’s 20-17 victory over the New York Giants.

“Yeah, we’ll take all the information in and we’ll let you guys know,” he replied on Monday when asked if he’s ready to name a starting quarterback for Week 12. “Fortunately for us, we have some time to think this whole thing through.”

The Panthers will come out of this week’s bye to face the defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday, Nov. 24.

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Panthers QB Bryce Young sits alongside 2024 MVP candidates in this stat . . .

Panthers QB Bryce Young, since returning to the starting lineup three weeks ago, has something in common with MVP front-runners Lamar Jackson and Josh Allen.

Hey, look at Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young with 2024 Most Valuable Player front-runners Lamar Jackson and Josh Allen.

Who would have thought?

Not us.

Since returning to the starting lineup three weeks ago, Young has inspired at least a sprinkle of hope for the Panthers. The much-improved version of last year’s No. 1 overall pick has completed 62.5 percent of his passes for 521 yards, four touchdowns and three interceptions while helping lead Carolina to a 2-1 mark.

He’s also, perhaps more impressively, done this . . .

The first of those drives came near the end of the Week 8 loss to the Denver Broncos. Young orchestrated a 10-play, 98-yard possession that finished up with a 15-play touchdown throw to rookie wideout Jalen Coker.

The second happened this past Sunday, in the first quarter of the 20-17 victory over the New York Giants. That one was punctuated by a 5-yard connection between Young and rookie tight end Ja’Tavion Sanders for the opening points of the contest.

As of this writing, Carolina head coach Dave Canales still has yet to commit to Young as the starter moving forward.

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Carolina is thriving on offense behind three rookies

The Carolina Panthers offense is perking up and the play of three rookie pass-catchers is a big reason why

Two wins in a row have not come easy for a Carolina Panthers team that has looked like a rock-bottom team for much of the season, but much of the credit for the winning streak must come from a trio of rookies that have made Bryce Young’s life a little easier in this Carolina offense.

 

Xavier Legette, Jalen Coker, and Ja’Tavion Sanders have been the top receiving options within this Panthers offense and they have thrived without Adam Thielen or the now traded Diontae Johnson on the field. While the offense isn’t blowing anyone out of the water, it has proved to be sustainable over a three game stretch and seems to be clicking now more than ever behind their young quarterback.

 

All three of these rookies continue to impress and find themselves in the top ten of rookie receiving numbers on the season so far. Coker, in particular, has impressed as an undrafted free agent, suddenly performing like a seasoned pro and being a serious outlet for Young. With veteran Adam Thielen making his way back from an injury soon, this Carolina team could continue to get better and defy expectations of being a bottom-feeding team. The Kansas City Chiefs are next up on the schedule, and if Carolina can manage to make their offense work against that stingy defense, they may just have set themselves up for years to come.

Report: Panthers RB Miles Sanders ‘could miss a little time’ with foot/ankle injury

According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, Panthers RB Miles Sanders may only miss “a little time” with a foot/ankle injury.

According to NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport, Carolina Panthers running back Miles Sanders is considered “day-to-day” as a result of his foot/ankle injury from the Week 10 win over the New York Giants.

After sustaining the injury in the second quarter of the 20-17 victory, Sanders was carted away and would not return to the contest. Prior to his exit, he recorded five yards on two carries.

Through 10 games, Sanders has run for 139 yards and a touchdown on 38 attempts. His current average of 3.7 yards per carry stands as the second-lowest of his career, ahead of only last year’s mark of 3.3.

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Fans react to Mike Tomlin’s hilarious comments on Diontae Johnson

Steelers fans mock Diontae Johnson after Mike Tomlin’s comments, as bad blood brews before Week 11’s clash with the Ravens.

Former Pittsburgh Steelers WR Diontae Johnson just can’t catch a break! From frustrations in Pittsburgh to unhappiness in Carolina, and now disappointment in Baltimore, Johnson’s negativity seems to follow him wherever he goes.

His recent social media meltdown apparently stemmed from being used sparingly for two consecutive weeks by the Ravens.

As previously reported, Mike Tomlin took a subtle jab at the former Steelers receiver, smirking as he told reporters he’s more concerned with important players who actually get playing time.

Tomlin ultimately had to deal with quite a bit of immaturity from Johnson during the receiver’s time in Pittsburgh, including his struggle to make routine catches on the field, lack of effort on run plays, and his inconsistent attitude both on and off the field.

There’s no secret that some bad blood might be brewing as the team heads into the Week 11 contest against the Baltimore Ravens. Fans of the Steel City took this opportunity to let their boos rain down early on Johnson, with the prelude starting on social media. Here are some of the best reactions to Tomlin’s comments on Johnson.

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Where do the Panthers stand in the 2025 NFL draft order after Week 10?

Here’s the 2025 NFL draft order following Week 10:

At 1-7 entering Week 9, the Carolina Panthers had little to no (closer to no) playoff hopes left. And in what’s become an annual occurrence for their fans, who haven’t seen their team play football past the regular season since the 2017 campaign, “draft season” arrived a bit early.

But something funny has happened over the last two weeks—they’ve actually won . . . twice!

The Panthers captured their second straight victory this past Sunday. Clinched by a game-winning field goal by kicker Eddy Piñeiro, the 20-17 walk-off triumph over the New York Giants moved the team to 3-7 heading into their bye.

Ok, yeah, those playoff hopes are still pretty much non-existent. So, yeah, where the Panthers currently stand in the draft queue remains more pertinent than where they stand in the postseason race.

Here, via Tankathon, is the 2025 NFL draft order heading into Week 11:

*Key: Pick No.. Team (record, strength of schedule)

  1. Jacksonville Jaguars (2-8, .481)
  2. New York Giants (2-8, .525)
  3. Tennessee Titans (2-7, .506)
  4. Cleveland Browns (2-7, .525)
  5. Las Vegas Raiders (2-7, .525)
  6. New England Patriots (3-7, .463)
  7. New Orleans Saints (3-7, .488)
  8. New York Jets (3-7, .494)
  9. Carolina Panthers (3-7, .494)
  10. Miami Dolphins (3-6, .436)
  11. Dallas Cowboys (3-6, .530)
  12. Indianapolis Colts (4-6, .469)
  13. Cincinnati Bengals (4-6, .506)
  14. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4-6, .521)
  15. Seattle Seahawks (4-5, .528)
  16. Los Angeles Rams (4-5, .528)
  17. Chicago Bears (4-5, .550)
  18. San Francisco 49ers (5-4, .541)
  19. Denver Broncos (5-5, .503)
  20. Houston Texans (6-4, .478)
  21. Atlanta Falcons (6-4, .488)
  22. Arizona Cardinals (6-4, .532)
  23. Los Angeles Chargers (6-3, .485)
  24. Green Bay Packers (6-3, .532)
  25. Washington Commanders (7-3, .444)
  26. Baltimore Ravens (7-3, .528)
  27. Pittsburgh Steelers (7-2, .491)
  28. Minnesota Vikings (7-2, .500)
  29. Philadelphia Eagles (7-2, .439)
  30. Buffalo Bills (8-2, .463)
  31. Detroit Lions (8-1, .516)
  32. Kansas City Chiefs (9-0, .497)

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Panthers’ updated roster following Tuesday’s activation of WR Adam Thielen

Adam Thielen is back in the mix for the Panthers as they head into their Week 11 bye.

The Carolina Panthers got themselves a pretty important player back on Tuesday.

Wideout Adam Thielen, the team’s leading receiver from the 2023 campaign, was officially activated to the 53-man roster early this afternoon. The two-time Pro Bowler missed the team’s last seven games due to a hamstring injury, and could be ready to help add to their two-game winning streak out of the upcoming Week 11 bye.

So with Thielen back in the mix, here’s an updated look at Carolina’s active roster:

Panthers activate WR Adam Thielen, part ways with 2 others

The Panthers have activated WR Adam Thielen to their 53-man roster.

The surging Carolina Panthers are getting one of their roster’s most important pieces back.

As announced on Tuesday afternoon, the team has activated wideout Adam Thielen to their 53-man roster. The 11th-year receiver has missed the last seven games due to a hamstring injury.

Thielen sustained the setback in Week 3, while scoring on a 31-yard touchdown pass in Carolina’s 36-22 win over the Las Vegas Raiders. He would be placed on injured reserve two days later.

Carolina then designated Thielen to return to practice on Oct. 23, opening up the 21-day window for the 34-year-old to be moved back to the active roster. Tomorrow would have marked the final day for the Panthers to do so.

Last season saw Thielen lead the team in targets (137), receptions (103) and receiving yards (1,014). In his three games this year, he’s totaled eight catches for 109 yards and the score.

To make room for Thielen, the Panthers waived veteran tight end Jordan Matthews from the active roster.

The team also released wide receiver Cam Johnson from the practice squad.

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Ex-Panthers coach getting 2nd chance as OC with Bears

Former Panthers OC Thomas Brown is taking over play-calling duties for the struggling Bears.

Former Carolina Panthers offensive coordinator Thomas Brown is getting his second chance.

As announced on Tuesday, Brown has been promoted to serve as the offensive coordinator for the Chicago Bears—who relieved Shane Waldron of the duties after nine games. Brown was hired by Chicago this past offseason as the team’s offensive passing game coordinator.

Bears head coach Matt Eberflus stated the following of Brown in the team’s official release from this morning:

“Thomas is a bright offensive mind who has experience calling plays with a collaborative mindset. I look forward to his leadership over our offensive coaching staff and his plan for our players.”

After spending three seasons with the Los Angeles Rams (2020 to 2022), Brown was hired by the Panthers as their offensive coordinator ahead of the 2023 campaign. He did not start out at the position with play-calling duties, a responsibility then-head coach Frank Reich took command of to begin the season.

Brown would eventually take over as the full-time play-caller following Reich’s firing in Week 12.

The Panthers finished 2023 averaging 265.3 total yards per game, the fewest in the NFL.

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