As expected, Panthers OLB Jadeveon Clowney and CB Jaycee Horn are both up against the Cowboys today.
Despite a smidgeon of doubt, the Carolina Panthers will have two pretty big names in uniform for Week 15.
As expected, outside linebacker Jadeveon Clowney and cornerback Jaycee Horn are active for this afternoon’s matchup against the Dallas Cowboys. Both were listed as questionable on Friday’s injury report.
Clowney returns after missing out on last week’s loss to the Philadelphia Eagles due to a shoulder issue. Horn, who has yet to sit out from a game this season, has been dealing with a bothersome groin.
The Panthers will not, however, have running back and return specialist Raheem Blackshear. Blackshear, whose 705 yards on kickoff returns rank second in the NFL, is down with a chest injury.
As a result, and along with the season-ending ACL tear to rookie Jonathon Brooks, Carolina elevated seventh-year rusher Mike Boone from the practice squad on Saturday. He is expected to back up starter Chuba Hubbard.
Here’s the full list of inactives on the day for the Panthers:
The Panthers are expecting to see the return of rookie TE Ja’Tavion Sanders, the team’s third-leading receiver in 2024.
The Carolina Panthers may not have one of their very top defenders at their disposal here in Week 14, but at least they’re getting back one of their top pass catchers.
As expected, tight end Ja’Tavion Sanders is active and is expected to make his return for today’s matchup with the Philadelphia Eagles. The rookie was carted off from Week 12’s loss to the Kansas City Chiefs after sustaining a scary neck injury and did not play the next week against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Sanders is the third-leading receiver for the Panthers this season, behind only fellow rookie Xavier Legette and the departed Diontae Johnson—who was traded to the Baltimore Ravens on Oct. 29. The 2024 fourth-round selection has reeled in 29 receptions for 302 yards and a touchdown.
Carolina will not, however, have outside linebacker Jadeveon Clowney—the team leader in sacks (3.5) and pressures (30). The three-time Pro Bowler, who was listed as questionable for the contest on Friday, was downgraded to out on Saturday due to a knee injury.
Here is the full list of inactives on the afternoon for the Panthers:
A pair of standout rookie pass catchers headline today’s inactives for the Panthers.
The Carolina Panthers will have their best pass rusher for this afternoon’s NFC South showdown.
Despite missing a pair of practices leading into today’s Week 13 matchup against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, outside linebacker Jadeveon Clowney is active for the contest. The three-time Pro Bowler, who is dealing with a knee injury, returned to practice in a limited capacity on Friday and was listed as questionable going into the weekend.
Clowney has recorded 2.5 sacks and a team-leading 27 pressures over nine games.
He will not be joined, as expected, by rookie pass catchers Jalen Coker and tight end Ja’Tavion Sanders. Coker will now miss his second straight game due to a quadriceps injury while Sanders, who was carted off from last Sunday’s loss to the Kansas City Chiefs, is out with a neck injury.
Wide receiver Dan Chisena and tight end Stephen Sullivan were elevated from the practice squad on Saturday to provide depth for the absences.
Here’s the full list of inactives for the Panthers:
The Panthers won’t have one of their standout rookie receivers for today’s matchup against the Chiefs.
The Carolina Panthers won’t have one of their standout rookies for this afternoon’s battle with the Kansas City Chiefs.
As announced by the team about an hour and a half before today’s kickoff, wide receiver Jalen Coker will not be active against the defending Super Bowl champions. The 23-year-old did not participate in Friday’s practice due to a quadriceps injury and was listed as questionable coming into the weekend.
Coker, an undrafted free-agent signee from this past spring, has recorded 17 catches for 263 yards and a touchdown over seven career games. His 263 receiving yards are currently the 11th-most by any rookie this season.
Luckily for the Panthers, they will be getting back fellow wideout Adam Thielen—who is set to return after missing seven games with a hamstring injury. The 11th-year veteran led Carolina in targets (137), receptions (103) and receiving yards (1,014) in 2023.
Here’s the full list of inactives for the Panthers in Week 12:
A few surprises were included on the Panthers’ list of Week 10 inactives.
The Carolina Panthers’ list of inactives for their Week 10 outing included a couple of surprises.
Tight end Tommy Tremble and outside linebacker Charles Harris are among the seven players who will not suit up for this morning’s matchup against the New York Giants. Tremble was listed as questionable for the contest after a full practice on Friday while Harris, the team leader in sacks (3.0), was not included on the injury report at all.
His absence will likely give way to fellow pass rusher D.J. Wonnum, who is set to make his Panthers debut out of Munich, Germany. Wonnum has been sidelined all season due to complications from a torn quad.
Here’s the full list of inactives for the Panthers:
The Panthers will be without a few key offensive weapons in Denver this afternoon.
If Bryce Young wants to make a statement in the Mile High City this afternoon, he’ll have to do it without the help of a few key weapons.
The Carolina Panthers have ruled seven players as inactive for their Week 8 matchup against the Denver Broncos, including wideout Diontae Johnson. Johnson will miss his first game of the campaign due to a rib injury.
With the Panthers at 1-6 and the trade deadline just a little over a week away, Johnson’s absence has raised some speculation about a possible deal. Head coach Dave Canales was asked on Friday if the decision to hold Johnson out relates to preserving a move of the one-time Pro Bowler.
“Those are all conversations that Dan [Morgan] and Brandt [Tilis] will handle,” Canales replied. “For me, it’s like, I wanna do the best thing for Diontae, the best thing for the offense and the continuity of what we’re trying to get done. And the fact that he couldn’t get back on the field this week, I felt confident about the guys being able to step in there and do it.”
The Panthers will also be without last year’s leading receiving Adam Thielen, who is still on his way back from a hamstring strain. Thielen was designated to return to practice on Wednesday, but has yet to be activated to the main roster.
Here is the full list of inactives on the day for Carolina:
The Panthers named seven inactives for their regular-season opener in New Orleans.
The Carolina Panthers have listed seven inactives ahead of this afternoon’s regular-season opener against the New Orleans Saints.
Those players are as follows:
CB Shemar Bartholomew
G Jarrett Kingston
DL LaBryan Ray
C Andrew Raym
S Jammie Robinson
TE Messiah Swinson
TE Tommy Tremble
With Tremble down due to a hamstring injury and Ian Thomas now on injured reserve with a lingering calf issue, the Panthers are expected to start rookie tight end Ja’Tavion Sanders in what will be his first official NFL game. The fourth-round pick earned rave reviews from head coach Dave Canales earlier this summer.
“So JT is taking those steps that we’re looking for,” Canales said of the 21y-year-old during training camp. “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.”
Sanders will be backed by veteran Jordan Matthews and Feleipe Franks, who was signed to the active roster on Saturday.
Panthers Wire contributor Jared Feinberg answers some of your questions as we head into Week 1 of the 2024 season.
The Carolina Panthers enter the opening week of the regular season with plenty of question marks yet to be answered. Fans are curious about how their team will perform heading into the year, and want to gauge what is to come.
With Week 1 just days away, let’s reach into our very first mailbag here at Panthers Wire and answer a few of your inquiries . . .
(Note: Some questions have been edited for length and clarity.)
Expectations for Jonathan Mingo
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Justin asks – What are you expecting from Jonathan Mingo in Year 2?
There was a lot of criticism about Mingo’s play as a rookie in 2023. The second-round pick’s spatial awareness and feel as a wideout were inconsistent at best—resulting in him being out of position, overrunning passes thrown his way and, overall, just offering a skill set that was plain raw.
It’s not Mingo’s fault that the bar may have been set too high. The former Ole Miss standout was a bit overdrafted, and struggled in a bad 2023 Panthers offense. Grace should be given to the 23-year-old.
Mingo turned in a terrific summer where he displayed strides as a route runner and an improved feel for the game. He all but established himself as the No. 2 outside receiver–the off-ball Z–and a potential top target for fellow draft classmate and Panthers quarterback Bryce Young.
This season should see Mingo come close to doubling his yardage total from last year, where he caught 43 passes for 413 yards and no touchdowns. He’ll be the team’s top run-after-catch playmaker outside of rookie Xavier Legette and should receive a decent number of targets.
Xavier Legette’s role in the current rotation
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Chris asks – How do you think they work Leggette into the rotation? I assume he’ll start the season as WR4.
Chris, you are correct. Legette is currently listed as the team’s No. 4 receiver on the unofficial depth chart. While some fans have voiced concerns about Legette potentially not seeing ample playing time early in the season, the team’s first-round selection should hit the gridiron plenty.
Legette will likely be in when the team needs a big play downfield, or if they want to get him in space where he can split defenders and create yards after the catch. He would rotate in with Adam Thielen and Mingo, with snaps as the Z-receiver and in the slot to garner off-coverage looks. But, no, I don’t expect him to get eight to 10 targets per game—at least early on.
Look for Canales and offensive coordinator Brad Idzik to get him schemed targets and allow him to function as a quality rotational piece before getting more snaps throughout the campaign.
How the new DBs could play a role in the secondary
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Malte asks – Do you see any of the new DBs cracking the rotation besides Mike Jackson?
As Malte alluded to, the team traded for Mike Jackson and is expected to start him alongside Jaycee Horn. Then, last week, Carolina took advantage of the No. 1 priority on the NFL’s waiver wire and came away with three cornerbacks.
Those three players–Keenan Isaac, Tariq Castro-Fields and Shemar Bartholomew–are all players with size, length and athleticism. That has value. It’s possible we see these three on special teams and occasionally rotated in to give Horn and Jackson a breather.
However, it’s also possible that one of these three could be inactive depending on the matchup and how each player performs in practice. All three received quite favorable Pro Football Focus grades, which matched some of the tape displayed during the preseason with their former teams.
It’s important that Carolina added bigger corners that resembled their starters. By doing this, it gives them depth with the expectation that their level of play is elevated.
Biggest strength and weakness of the roster
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CoastalPanther asks – What areas of the roster do YOU feel are our strongest and weakest this season? For me, I feel for the first time in ages WR is bright and I feel DE and a strong No. 2 CB are areas of concern until we see how the new additions shake out. But, feel great with direction and seriousness.
Great question! I do agree with you that there is alignment, direction and deliberateness in the Panthers’ process currently.
President of football operations and general manager Dan Morgan is making it known what he is looking for with the Seattle prototype of big, lengthy cornerbacks. I’m intrigued with the waiver wire additions. But until it shows on the field, it’s an unknown.
The biggest weakness on this roster is the No. 2 outside linebacker spot. The team claimed an undrafted free-agent edge rusher, Jamie Sheriff, to add depth to the room. However, head coach Dave Canales has yet to determine who will be starting opposite of Clowney for the season opener in New Orleans.
Carolina’s biggest strength is undoubtedly the safety room. While Canales has made an argument for his group of wideouts, it’s hard to ignore the talent and depth the team’s backend possesses.
Xavier Woods and Jordan Fuller will be manning the deep thirds this season. And backup Nick Scott, who could start on several teams, gives the unit a seamless transition if one of the two were injured.
Additionally, second-year defensive back Jammie Robinson is the physical player in the group—providing physicality and power as a tackler while adding value on special teams.
There’s a new No. 0 in town for the Carolina Panthers.
Carolina Panthers tight end Ja’Tavion Sanders has his own number.
On Monday, the team announced new uniform numbers for six players ahead of the 2024 regular season. The rookie pass catcher headlined the switches, as he’ll be going from No. 85 to No. 0.
Sanders, Carolina’s fourth-round pick from this year’s draft, wore No. 0 during his final two seasons for the University of Texas Longhorns. And that number saw some numbers—as he reeled in 99 receptions for 1,295 yards and seven touchdowns en route to a pair of First-team All-Big 12 selections in 2022 and 2023.
Shortly after being selected by the Panthers, Sanders told reporters that he was planning on claiming his digit—but also admitted that he had to earn it first.
“That’s the plan,” he said with a smile. “If I’m lucky enough to get 0, then I’m definitely taking it for sure.”
The 21-year-old will be the second player in franchise history to don No. 0—which was first worn by Brian Burns in 2023.
All six uniform number adjustments are as follows:
On Wednesday, the Carolina Panthers announced they had staked claims on six players following the NFL’s initial roster cutdowns. One of the six was cornerback Shemar Bartholomew, who was let go by the New York Jets on Tuesday.
Well, it turns out that the Panthers weren’t the only team with interest in the 24-year-old defender. In fact, he was very much in demand.
As reported by NFL Network insider Tom Pelissero this morning, Bartholomew had claims from four different teams—the most amongst all players on yesterday’s waiver wire. The undrafted rookie was claimed by the Panthers, Los Angeles Chargers, New Orleans Saints and Kansas City Chiefs.
Bartholomew’s impressive summer may have led to his popularity. According to Pro Football Focus, the 6-foot-1, 200-pounder allowed zero receiving yards over nine targets and a passer rating of just 39.6 when targeted during the preseason—good enough for an 85.2 coverage grade.
Carolina—who has the No. 1 priority in the waiver order—also reeled in fellow cornerbacks Keenan Isaac and Tariq Castro-Fields, guard Jarrett Kingston, outside linebacker Jamie Sheriff and inside linebacker Jon Rhattigan.
