Tag: Ian Thomas

Panthers WR Diontae Johnson misses Wednesday’s practice with new injury

LG Damien Lewis and NT Shy Tuttle returned to practice for the Panthers. But WR Diontae Johnson was out with an ankle injury.

The Carolina Panthers welcomed a handful of players back to the practice field to kick off Week 5.

Among those in session on Wednesday included starting left guard Damien Lewis and starting nose tackle Shy Tuttle, both of whom sat out from this past Sunday’s loss to the Cincinnati Bengals. Lewis missed his first game of the season with his UCL tear while Tuttle missed his second due to a foot issue.

Joining the two were tight end Ian Thomas and cornerback Dane Jackson. Thomas and Jackson were officially designated to return to practice from injured reserve this morning and will have 21 days to be activated to the main roster.

There was, however, some discouraging news—as wide receiver Diontae Johnson was sidelined due to an ankle injury. Johnson, the team’s leading pass catcher, was dealing with a groin strain last week.

Here’s Wednesday’s full injury report:

Injury Wednesday Thursday Friday Game status
LB Josey Jewell Hamstring/groin DNP
LB Shaq Thompson Achilles DNP
OLB Jadeveon Clowney Rest DNP
WR Diontae Johnson Ankle DNP
CB Troy Hill Rest DNP
DL A’Shawn Robinson Rest DNP
OLB Charles Harris Shoulder Limited
G Robert Hunt Hip Limited
G Damien Lewis Elbow Limited
S Nick Scott Shoulder Limited
DL Shy Tuttle Foot Limited
S Nick Scott Quadriceps Limited
CB Lonnie Johnson Hip Full
C Andrew Raym Head Limited

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Panthers designate 2 players to return to practice from IR

TE Ian Thomas and CB Dane Jackson, both of whom began the regular season on IR, are set to return to practice.

The Carolina Panthers are entering Week 5 with a couple of reinforcements.

As announced on Wednesday morning, the team has designated two players to return to practice from injured reserve—tight end Ian Thomas and cornerback Dane Jackson. Thomas and Jackson have yet to play this season due to calf and hamstring injuries, respectively.

Head coach Dave Canales spoke about the possibility of at least a few players rejoining the team at practice from injured reserve earlier this week.

“Yeah, expecting Dane [Jackson], Jaden [Crumedy], Ian Thomas to get out there, be back on the practice field,” Canales told reporters on Monday. “Get a new set of eyes on these guys. We talk about competition all the time, and I love what it brings to our group—just being able to get out there, play fast, guys who are excited to get back to football.

“But again—they gotta be out there, they gotta handle the load. Still, with all that timing, they haven’t been on the field with us running our plays and all that. So this is a great opportunity for those guys to get rolling and for us to get a look at them.”

Thomas and Jackson now have 21 days to be activated to the main roster.

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Panthers expecting 3 players to return to practice this week

Panthers HC Dave Canales said he’s expecting a trio of players to return to practice this week.

Monday was a rather sobering day for the Carolina Panthers, who will be forced to deal with a couple of more difficult injuries.

First, the team learned that they’ll have to finish the 2024 campaign without captain and longtime linebacker Shaq Thompson—who tore his Achilles tendon in yesterday’s 34-24 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals. They also found out about a setback to their other starting inside ‘backer, as Josey Jewell could be down for a couple of weeks due to hamstring and groin issues.

But some much-needed reinforcements could soon be on the way

After filling the media in on Thompson and Jewell this afternoon, head coach Dave Canales was asked about this week’s availability of the players who began the season on injured reserve.

“Yeah, expecting Dane [Jackson], Jaden [Crumedy], Ian Thomas to get out there, be back on the practice field,” Canales replied. “Get a new set of eyes on these guys. We talk about competition all the time, and I love what it brings to our group—just being able to get out there, play fast, guys who are excited to get back to football.

“But again—they gotta be out there, they gotta handle the load. Still, with all that timing, they haven’t been on the field with us running our plays and all that. So this is a great opportunity for those guys to get rolling and for us to get a look at them.”

With four weeks now in the books, players who began the campaign on injured reserve are eligible to return to practice. Once they are officially back on the practice field, the Panthers will have 21 days to return them to the active roster.

If they are not added to the active roster within that 21-day window, they are no longer eligible to play for the remainder of the season.

Along with Jackson, Crumedy, Thomas, other notable Panthers who are on the shelf include rookie running back and second-round pick Jonathon Brooks as well as outside linebackers D.J. Wonnum and Amaré Barno.

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Panthers sign 2 players to active roster, promote 2 more for Week 1

The Panthers made a handful of moves just ahead of their regular-season opener in New Orleans.

The Carolina Panthers made a handful of last-minute adjustments before this weekend’s regular-season opener.

As announced on Saturday, the team placed tight end Ian Thomas on injured reserve—helping prompt one of two new additions to the active roster. Taking Thomas’ spot will be fellow tight end Feleipe Franks, who entered September as a member of Carolina’s practice squad.

Franks, a quarterback during his collegiate career at the University of Florida, cracked into the NFL as an undrafted free agent with the Atlanta Falcons in 2021. He began his transition to the tight end position in the summer of 2022.

The Panthers first inked Franks on July 26, 2024, waived him a month later during their initial roster cutdown and then re-signed him to the practice squad. He’ll help provide some depth at tight end with the absences of Thomas and starter Tommy Tremble, who has been ruled out of Sunday’s matchup against the New Orleans Saints with a hamstring injury.

Joining Franks on the active roster is defensive lineman Jayden Peevy, another member of the team’s practice squad.

Carolina also promoted running back Mike Boone and safety Lonnie Johnson for the contest.

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Panthers place TE Ian Thomas on injured reserve

Panthers TE Ian Thomas will miss at least the next four weeks due to his calf injury.

The Carolina Panthers will be without tight end Ian Thomas for more than just their regular-season opener.

As announced by on Saturday afternoon, Thomas has been placed on injured reserve due to a lingering calf issue. The seventh-year passer, who was already ruled out for Sunday’s Week 1 matchup against the New Orleans Saints, will now miss at least the next four weeks.

Thomas is just the latest Panther to hit the shelf, as the team is entering the 2024 campaign with a handful of injuries. Carolina now has five players on injured reserve (Thomas, defensive lineman Jaden Crumedy, cornerbacks Anthony Brown and Dane Jackson and safety Sam Franklin Jr.), two players on the reserve/physically unable to perform list (outside linebackers Amaré Barno and D.J. Wonnum) and one player on the reserve/non-football injury list (running back Jonathon Brooks).

Fellow tight end Tommy Tremble will also miss tomorrow’s opener due to a hamstring injury.

Rookie Ja’Tavion Sanders is slated to get the start in his NFL debut.

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Panthers rookie TE Ja’Tavion Sanders to start in Week 1 vs. Saints

Panthers HC Dave Canales confirmed that rookie TE Ja’Tavion Sanders will get the start in Sunday’s regular-season opener.

On Friday, the Carolina Panthers released their final injury report ahead of this weekend’s regular-season opener against the New Orleans Saints. And, as expected, starting tight ends Tommy Tremble (hamstring/back) and Ian Thomas (calf) have been ruled out after missing each of this week’s practices.

Also as expected, their absences has opened the door for rookie Ja’Tavion Sanders to get the start at the position on Sunday. Head coach Dave Canales confirmed the nod following this afternoon’s session.

This, obviously, means the 21-year-old tight end is set to start in what will be his very first regular-season game in the NFL. Sanders earned the honor through his eye-opening offseason.

“It’s exponential growth, every day,” Canales said of Sanders during training camp. “What I’ve seen him do is just kinda really take big leaps in the techniques. And you’ll see that with young guys. You’ll see big leaps, and then you wanna get them to the point where it’s consistent. And then we take our incremental growth—just like some of the veteran guys who have been around.

“So JT is taking those steps that we’re looking for. Made a big play at Fan Fest to end it, to end the scrimmage on a corner. Had a couple nice plays today, nice catches. He’s doin’ it. He’s making the most of his opportunity. It’s pushed him right up with that first group, to be able to show the guys you can count on him and he’s been really dependable with that.”

Carolina selected Sanders to kick off the fourth round of the 2024 NFL draft. Over his last two years at the University of Texas, he recorded 99 receptions for 1,295 yards and seven touchdowns en route to a pair of First-Team All-Big 12 selections.

Sanders is currently joined at the position by 32-year-old veteran Jordan Matthews, the only other healthy tight end on the active roster. The Panthers can also promote Feleipe Franks from the practice squad to give themselves some depth.

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Panthers Week 1 injury report: Starting TEs ruled out vs. Saints

As expected, the Panthers will be without both of their starting tight ends to begin the 2024 regular season.

As expected, the Carolina Panthers will begin the 2024 regular season without a couple of their starters on offense.

The team has officially ruled out both Tommy Tremble (hamstring/back) and Ian Thomas (calf) from Sunday’s opener against the NFC South rival New Orleans Saints. Tremble and Thomas, who did not participate in practice all week, have been listed as the first-string tight ends on Carolina’s first unofficial depth chart of the new campaign.

Their absences could give way to opportunities for 2024 fourth-round pick Ja’Tavion Sanders as well as Jordan Matthews. The 21-year-old rookie and the 32-year old veteran have impressed throughout the summer, and should serve as the next men up for Tremble and Thomas.

Carolina might also be without backup tackle Yosh Nijman, who has been deemed questionable due to a tibia injury.

Injury Wednesday Thursday Friday Game status
TE Ian Thomas Calf DNP DNP DNP Out
TE Tommy Tremble Hamstring/back DNP DNP DNP Out
OT Yosh Nijman Tibia Limited Limited Limited Questionable
RB Miles Sanders Finger Limited Full Full –
CB Troy Hill Heel Limited Full –

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Panthers still without TEs Tommy Tremble, Ian Thomas at practice

The Panthers held out TEs Tommy Tremble and Ian Thomas for the second straight practice.

Another day, another practice for the Carolina Panthers without their top two tight ends.

As was the case on Wednesday, the team held out both Tommy Tremble (hamstring/back) and Ian Thomas (calf) from this afternoon’s session. So the statuses of Tremble and Thomas, who are currently listed as the offense’s starters at the tight end position, remain rather uncertain heading into Sunday’s regular-season opener against the New Orleans Saints.

The two are again joined on the injury report by running back Miles Sanders (finger) and offensive tackle Yosh Nijman (tibia). Sanders was bumped up from a limited outing yesterday to a full one on Thursday.

Carolina also added veteran cornerback Troy Hill (heel) to the bill.

Injury Wednesday Thursday Friday Game status
TE Ian Thomas Calf DNP DNP
TE Tommy Tremble Hamstring/back DNP DNP
OT Yosh Nijman Tibia Limited Limited
RB Miles Sanders Finger Limited Full
CB Troy Hill Heel Limited

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Panthers hold out starting TEs from practice on Wednesday

Both Tommy Tremble and Ian Thomas did not participate in Wednesday’s practice.

The Carolina Panthers’ very first injury report of the 2024 regular season didn’t bring us any surprises.

As expected, tight ends Tommy Tremble (hamstring/back) and Ian Thomas (calf) were held out from Wednesday’s practice ahead of this weekend’s opener against the New Orleans Saints. Both were listed as starters on yesterday’s unofficial depth chart.

Tremble and Thomas are backed in the pecking order by 2024 fourth-round pick Ja’Tavion Sanders and 32-year-old veteran Jordan Matthews, who was promoted to the active roster shortly after this summer’s initial cutdowns. Carolina, additionally, officially signed rookie Messiah Swinson off the Green Bay Packers’ practice squad to provide insurance at the position.

Running back Miles Sanders (finger) and offensive tackle Yosh Nijman (tibia) were also included on today’s injury report. They were designated as limited participants.

Injury Wednesday Thursday Friday Game status
TE Ian Thomas Calf DNP
TE Tommy Tremble Hamstring/back DNP
OT Yosh Nijman Tibia Limited
RB Miles Sanders Finger Limited

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Panthers reportedly signing former Packers TE to active roster

With the statuses of Tommy Tremble and Ian Thomas still up in the air for Week 1, the Panthers added some insurance to the TE room.

The Carolina Panthers may very well be without their top two tight ends when they kick off their regular season on Sunday. So, they’re looking to grab a little bit of insurance.

As first reported by Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Houston on Tuesday, the team is signing tight end Messiah Swinson off the Green Bay Packers’ practice squad. The 6-foot-7, 259-pound rookie will now be added to Carolina’s active 53-man roster ahead of their Week 1 matchup against the New Orleans Saints.

A Bay Shore, N.Y. native, Swinson split his collegiate career between the University of Missouri (2019 to 2021) and Arizona State University (2022 to 2023). Over those five years, he amassed 28 receptions for 317 yards and two touchdowns.

Swinson was signed by the Packers as an undrafted free agent in May. He’d later be released during the team’s cutdown to their initial 53-man roster and was later brought back as a member of their practice squad.

With the statuses of projected starter Tommy Tremble and Ian Thomas still up in the air for this weekend, Swinson should provide some depth alongside fellow rookie and fourth-round pick Ja’Tavion Sanders as well as veteran Jordan Matthews.

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